


Secrets of Fire Island

by Snarry5evr



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: AU, Adopted Harry Potter, Albus Dumbledore Bashing, Harry is Lord Potter, Harry/Hermione/Neville friendship, M/M, Mentions of Harry/Blaise Zabini, Mentions of Harry/OC, Mpreg, Plot Twist, Ron Weasley Bashing, Secret adoption, Slow Burn, Smart Harry, So sorry- Almost forgot, The Real Mad-eye Moody
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-04-02
Updated: 2019-05-06
Packaged: 2020-01-01 07:43:57
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 57,311
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18331664
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Snarry5evr/pseuds/Snarry5evr
Summary: Harry loves the magical world his guardians have introduced him to and as he sets off for Hogwarts he doesn't anticipate the lives he will be changing along the way.***Do not repost my works without my express permission***Don’t copy to another site





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> As always, thanks to my super awesome beta Dannielle.
> 
> This fic is totally out of my norm, hope you all enjoy it. I'll try not to keep you waiting too long between updates.

Stepping out of the back of her husband's shop, the woman gave a small huff at the sight of the group of hoodlums at the far end of the alley. A large boy and two skinny comrades circled something, laughing viciously. Fingering her wand, just in case, she moved forward.

“You there!” The boys turned as one, their eyes widening in alarm as they landed on her. Typical of childish bullies the moment an adult came into the picture, all three boys ran off. She gave a loud sigh and cautiously continued towards the shadowy depth of the alleyway. Perhaps they hadn’t caused too much damage to the small creature. Nick would no doubt throw a fit were she to bring home another stray kneazle or crup. Her breath caught as she neared where the bullies had been. It was not an animal at all but a small boy. She knelt down and brushed the hair back from the pale face. Blood covered the face where a nasty gash ran across the boy’s forehead, and the curled figure struggled for each breath. Casting a cautious glance around the alley, she swiftly brought her wand out and flicked a spell over the boy. She winced at the dancing lights that indicated injuries and their severity. Thankfully there was nothing life-threatening. Slipping her wand back in the pocket of her apron, she carefully slipped her arms under the boy and lifted him. He let out a small groan but didn’t wake. The witch carried the boy back to the alley entrance of her husband’s small shop and quickly took him to the nearby office. She placed the boy on the couch where she often curled up with a book while her husband saw to the finances of the business. Reluctantly stepping away from the boy she made her way to the front of the shop. 

It was nothing extravagant, simply a small shop filled with hand-carved furniture. Such things had recently come back in to style so Nick had taken the opportunity to turn his little hobby into a business. She passed a small wooden rocking horse and side-stepped an intricately carved dresser before her eyes landed on the middle-aged man with guinea-gold hair that was still as thick today as it had been the day she had met him. She watched him, bent over a small crib carving a small teddy bear in the wood. He often brought half-finished projects to the front of the shop to work on. More than once, people had stopped to watch him work and had been drawn into the shop.

“Thought you were going to Vivy’s for tea,” Nick said, not even looking away from the crib. She smiled at her husband. He had always had a knack for knowing when she was near.

“Ran into some boys being horrid in the alley,” she admitted.

Nick let out a sigh and finally pulled the small carving tool away from the wood. He dropped his head a moment before turning to look at her, a knowing twinkle in his violet eyes. “What did you bring home this time, Nelly?” She felt her face heat up and bit at her lip. Nick turned and took a step towards her. “Nelly?” he questioned in a stern tone.

“I won’t expect we can keep this one, Nick,” she said slyly, and he raised his brows in surprise. “It’s a boy.”

“A boy? A boy what?” Nick said, brows furrowed as he moved towards her. “A boy crup? A boy kneazle? Don’t tell me you’ve brought another occamy home.”

“No, Nick. A real boy. A child.”

Nick’s eyes went comically wide as he rushed past her. “Whatever for, Nelly?”

She turned to follow him to the office. “He was unconscious, Nick. I’ve never seen him before. I’ve no idea to whom he belongs.”

The couple stopped short upon entering the office and finding the child standing by the couch. His dark hair was wild about his face and green eyes were wide in fear as they darted around the room. Nelly took a step past her husband, and the child’s eyes impossibly widened even more as he moved back and fell onto the couch. He scrambled back into a corner of the couch and curled into himself.

“Oh dear,” Nelly whispered, an ache clutching at her tender heart. Her words were soft and gentle when she spoke. “Hello there. My name is Nelly. What’s yours?” The boy blinked furiously at her as if he didn’t understand her words. She tried a different approach. “You needn’t worry, dear. You are in my husband’s shop. I found you in the alley. I think some boys were trying to hurt you. If you will let me I would like to help you.” The boy blinked at her and gave a small nod. Nelly smiled at him as she moved forward and took a first aid kit from a shelf. They always kept it stocked for her husband’s more serious accidents. She took the small box over to the couch and sat down by the boy. She pulled out a small bottle of disinfecting salve along with a small flannel. She spoke gently as she poured the potion on the flannel and gently wiped at the bleeding gash. “This is my husband Nick. We own this little shop and sell furniture.” The green eyes darted between Nelly and Nick. “He hand carves the furniture from wood. It’s just a little hobby, but he enjoys it. Do you have any hobbies?” The boy shook his head, and she smiled gently. “Well, I suppose most children haven’t got hobbies. That’s usually something us adults do to stay busy when we get bored. Do you know the boys that did this to you?” She could tell the boy was reluctant, but he gave a small nod. Nelly made a tsking noise as she moved to clean the blood that had dribbled down the boy’s cheek. “I’ll have to have a word with their parents, then. And one with yours as well. A small thing like you shouldn’t be out alone with mean boys like that. You can’t be more than-” she took in the small boy sitting before him and mentally calculated his age. “What? Five? Six?”

An indignant look crossed the boy’s face, and he sat up straighter. “I’m almost eight and a half.”

Shock shot through Nelly and she glanced over to see the same shock in Nick’s eyes. She turned back to the boy and forced a reassuring smile on her face. “Well, nothing wrong with being a mite small for one’s age. No doubt you’ll catch up in time. So, now that you’ve decided to talk, can you tell me your name?”

The boy’s face went red with embarrassment. “Just Harry,” he mumbled.

“Well, Just Harry, what say we get you cleaned up, maybe a little snack, and get you home?” Something flashed in the boy’s eyes that set Nelly on edge. “Harry,” she said carefully, “who was that that beat you up?”

“M’cousin,” the boy mumbled.

Nelly’s lips thinned in disapproval. “And do your parents know he is mean to you?” Harry shook his head, his wild hair flying about his head. “And why not?” she asked, doing her best to not sound disapproving.

“They’re dead,” he mumbled again.

Nelly glanced over at Nick and could see the pity in the beloved violet eyes. Nelly turned back to Harry. “I’m sorry, Harry. Do you live with your cousin?” Another nod. “And do your aunt and uncle know your cousin treat you like this?” The boy hesitated then gave a single nod of his head. Nelly jerked back in surprise and glanced at her husband. The look of pity was quickly being replaced with a protective fire. “And they… allow this?” Another nod. Nelly took a deep breath. “Harry,” she hesitated, having a feeling she already knew the answer to her next question, “do they… encourage his behavior?” Another slow nod and Nelly had to grip the flannel in her hand to keep from going for her wand. Nelly reached a curled finger under Harry’s chin and gently lifted the boy’s head. “Harry, I want you to look me in the eye please.” 

Green eyes lifted to meet her’s, and Nelly quickly delved into the boy’s mind. She saw a small cupboard decorated with spider webs and a worn mattress, words like “freak” and “boy” echoed in the young mind, and so much pain. She was about to pull out when something caught her attention. She focused on the memory of a horse-faced woman chopping at the boy’s hair and spitting out hateful words, shoving the child into the room/cupboard, and the boy reaching up to feel as his hair steadily grew back at an alarming rate. She pulled from the boy’s mind and forced a smile to her lips. She patted the boy’s shoulder.

“How about some tea and biscuits, Harry? You’ve had a very trying day.” He gave a quick nod, and she smiled brightly. “Excellent. Now, you stay right here, and I will be back shortly.”

She rose from the couch and sent Nick a look as she passed by him. He followed her to the small kitchen down the hall and waited while she set to making tea the muggle way. She had no doubt he could see her hands shaking as she reached for a cup and placed it on the small tea tray. She felt Nick’s strong form move up behind her, and his calloused hands gripped her shoulders. She sighed as soft lips pressed into her auburn hair. “Nelly.” The word was soft but oh so very reassuring.

“Oh, Nick,” she leaned back against him. “They starve him and shove him into a cupboard. They work him like a house elf and call him names. It’s like they don’t even see him as a real person.” She heard Nick’s sharp inhale of breath. “And that’s not all.” She turned to face him and Nick released her shoulders and took a small step back. “Nick, I think he’s a wizard.”

Nick blinked in disbelief. “What? We need to contact someone. Wizard or not, the boy needs out of that place. We can call the Ministry or Dumbledore.”

Nelly placed a hand on Nick’s shoulder. “One thing at a time, Nick. I think perhaps the first thing is to find out who the boy is. If he’s a wizard we can take him to Gringotts and have an Ancestry test done. It would be best if we could find family before they try to stick the boy in an orphanage.”

Nick nodded. “Yes. You’re right. Of course.” Nelly gave a nod and turned to finish preparing the tea tray. They walked back to the office, and she let out a mental sigh of relief that the boy was still there. She placed the tray on the table and poured out tea for the three of them. She added a bit of sugar to the boy’s and passed it over to him before preparing her’s and Nick’s. Once they all had their teas, she settled back on the couch and smiled at Harry.

“Harry, I would like to ask you a few more questions, and I don’t want you to be afraid to answer honestly. Nick and I mean you no harm; we only wish to help you.” Green eyes darted between the two adults and landed on Nelly. He gave a small nod as if to say “go ahead.” Nelly smiled brightly at him. “Good. Tell me, Harry. Have you ever done anything… incredible? Made something happen without knowing how you did it?” She saw the boy’s eyes go wide and noticed his hands begin to shake. Was this the reason his relatives were so cruel to him? She hurried on, quickly changing tactic once again. “I only ask because you seem to be a very special boy. Much like Nick and I.” Green eyes blinked curiously but the shaking hands still quivered slightly. Nelly gave the boy a conspiratorial smile and leaned forward slightly. “Can I tell you a secret?” Harry nodded. “Nick and I are wizards. Well,” she said, her voice returning to a more normal level, “technically Nick is a wizard and I am a witch. But the fact is we can make things happen. Things like making objects fly, turning a table into a chair, making our hair grow out fast if we don’t like a haircut, and even flying on a broom,” she listed casually, watching the boy’s eyes widen in surprise, especially when she mentioned the hair. 

“I suppose that’s why your relatives don’t like you much,” Nick said, speaking to the boy for the first time. “Not many non-magicals like people like us. They tend to be jealous. Do you suppose your cousin is jealous because he can’t do magic like you?”

Harry looked from Nick back to Nelly, his eyes widening in understanding. A hesitant smile pulled at his lips, and he nodded. Nelly beamed at the boy. ”Well, there really is only one thing to do when it comes to mean muggle relatives.” Harry furrowed his brow in confusion.

“M-muggle?” he repeated.

“Oh. That means non-magical, dear,” Nelly told him.

“Oh,” he said softly. “So, am I magical?”

Nelly smiled at him. “I suspect you are. Shall we test it out?” Harry nodded vigorously, and Nelly reached into her apron pocket to pull out a wand. “Now, this is called a wand. All witches and wizards have them for spell-casting. There are some stronger witches and wizards who don’t really need them, but you should always carry yours. All wands react to a magical being, but eventually you will have to get one that is suitable for you. I’m going to let you hold my wand and when you do I want you to give it a little flick,” she demonstrated, and Harry’s green eyes greedily watched the movement. “Something will happen, Harry, but I don’t want it to upset you.” He tore his eyes away from the wand to look at her. “Because this is my wand it will not act favorably towards you, so when you give it a flick anything could happen. You might send a whirlwind through the office, you might break all my china, or you might even turn Nick’s hair purple. But it’s alright, because I can fix it. Okay?” 

Harry nodded and swallowed thickly as he hesitantly reached out for the wand Nelly presented in her palm. His small hand reached around the intricately carved handle, and he held it in front of him, awe clear on his face.

“Go on, Harry,” Nick encouraged with a whisper. “Give it a flick.”

Green eyes darted over to Nick then back to the wand. Harry jerked his hand giving the wand a small flick. Nelly let out a laugh, and Harry looked around them in awe as flowers of all colors rained down around them. Nick clapped with a loud guffaw. “Well done, Harry. You are indeed a wizard.”

The boy beamed at them, and Nelly felt a hitch in her chest. “So... I’m not a freak?”

“Not at all, love,” Nelly answered as she took the wand back from Harry. A small flick of her wand Summoned a flower, and she placed a strong stasis charm on it along with another spell. One more flick of her wand had the rest of the flowers disappearing. She held the flower out for Harry. “And this is proof, Harry. I want you to take it and keep it safe. It will last forever, and I have spelled it so that only those that know about it can see it. And no matter how much you squish it it will always remain perfect. You can carry it in your pocket or hold it in your hand and it will stay just like it is now.”

Harry cautiously took the flower and placed it in his palm. He curled his hand around the flower and then opened it back up. He watched in awe as the flower unfolded to once again become a perfect white lily. He smiled up at Nelly, his green eyes shining with tears. “Thank you,” he whispered hoarsely.  

Nelly smiled at him and stroked a hand through his hair. “You are very welcome, Harry. Now, there is something else Nick and I would like to do for you, if you will allow us.”

Harry settled back on the couch and nodded, the flower held lovingly in the palm of his hand. He focused on Nick as her husband spoke. “Harry, I don’t know if you know or not, but the way your family treats you is wrong. Originally, Nelly and I were going to go to the muggle authorities,” Harry’s eyes widened in horror at Nick’s words, “but since you are magical there are other avenues for us to take.” Harry seemed to calm back down, and he nodded at Nick to continue. “You should be aware that there are many other witches and wizards out there.” Harry looked wide-eyed between the two adults and Nelly nodded in agreement. “In fact,” Nick continued, “there is a whole magical world right here in Britain. There is a school that you no doubt will be invited to attend once you are eleven as well as a small hidden alley with all sorts of magical shops as well as a magical bank. But this bank is not like a normal bank. It is run by goblins, and they are very smart creatures. Now, Nelly and I suspect that you might have had magical parents, or at least one magical parent. And if that is the case, the goblins can tell you if you have a magical family out there.” Nelly could tell Harry’s eyes were wide in amazement as he hung on Nick’s every word. “Nelly and I can take you to the bank, and they can tell you if you have family and also if you have any money your parents may have left you.”

Harry shook his head vigorously. “M’uncle said my parents were worthless and didn’t have a job. They left me with nothin’.”

“Ah, but if your parents were magical your uncle wouldn’t have access to their accounts. Only other magical people can get into Gringotts,” Nick explained. “So, would you like to go to Gringotts?” Harry nodded vigorously.

“But, what if I haven’t got any magical family? I don’t want to go back to the Dursleys and be a freak again,” Harry said, pain and panic lacing his small voice. Nelly’s heart clenched in despair for the boy.

“Then we will see about granting you a magical guardian, Harry,” Nick assured the boy. “Now that we know you are a wizard and the muggles entrusted with your care are mean, we can ask the ministry to appoint a magical guardian to you.”

“Can… can I come live with you?” the boy asked softly. Nelly felt the tears well in her eyes and was about to send Nick a pleading look when his voice rang through the room, surprising her.

“Absolutely!” Nelly and Harry both looked at Nick in surprise. Nelly had known eventually her husband would allow the boy to come to them, but she had truly thought she would have to weedle the promise out of him. For Nick to so readily accept the responsibility of a child, she knew he had to have been moved greatly by the boy’s plight. Or perhaps, like her, he had realized there was something special about this child. 

“Really?” Harry asked in surprise.

“Yes,” Nick said adamantly. “If you haven’t got any magical family or a magical guardian you are more than welcome in mine and Nelly’s home. And even if you do, we can still be friends,” Nick added. There was a small cry from the boy before he launched himself from the couch and into Nick’s arms. Nick looked up at Nelly with a bewildered look on his face, and she chuckled. A soft smile spread over Nick’s face before he ducked his head to press his lips to the boy’s hair. Harry pulled back, his face red with embarrassment. Nick’s hands slipped to gently grasp the boy’s upper arms. “I’m going to need something from you, Harry. You’ll have to be very brave for me, do you think you can do that?” Harry gave a firm nod. “Good. You are going to have to return to your relatives for a bit. This isn’t something that we can do right away, and if I allow you to stay here they can charge Nelly and I with kidnapping. Then we won’t be able to help you at all.”

“O-okay,” Harry said gently. Nick smiled at the brave boy.

“Good. Now, do you think you can come back tomorrow? I would like to get to Gringotts as soon as possible.”

Harry nodded. “Uncle Vernon has work tomorrow, and Aunt P’tunia has her ladies club all day.”

“Excellent. As soon as you get here we can take you to Gringotts and talk to the goblins. The Ancestry test shouldn’t take very long, but it might take a day or two to contact any family or guardians you have.” Nelly stood and moved over to the two wizards. She placed a hand on Harry’s shoulder and touched the clenched fist that held the flower.

“Just remember, Harry. This is proof that this is all real. Draw your strength from that.” Harry unclenched his fist, and the trio watched as the lily unfurled once more.

“Thank you,” Harry said softly. 

Soon after, Nelly packed Harry a small container of dinner and shrunk it before slipping it into his pocket. She charmed it to unshrink at Harry’s touch and told him to wait until he was sure he was safe to eat it. Harry stuffed the magical lily into his pocket and said goodbye to Nick. Nelly walked the boy to Privet Drive and watched from the shadows as he disappeared inside number four. She sighed, wishing she hadn’t had to make the boy go back, but Nick had been correct. They couldn’t keep the boy yet. A small part of her selfishly hoped the boy had no relatives or magical guardians. She had fallen in love with the small waif and wanted to show the boy he was indeed loveable and deserved to be cherished.

 

Regardless of how much Nick had reassured his wife, he was immeasurably relieved when the door to his shop opened the next day and the scraggly-haired boy stepped inside. He smiled brightly at the green-eyed boy.

“Good morning, Harry.” The boy flushed at being greeted so warmly, and Nick felt the familiar anger course through him at the muggles that had taught this boy he was worthless. “Nelly has some delicious scones and bacon left from breakfast if you’d like some. I have a few things to finish up here before we head out,” Nick lied, holding up a stack of old orders. “No sense in you sitting around bored. Go have some breakfast.” He watched the boy scurry through the shop and hoped the poor mite didn’t overeat and make himself sick. Ah well, Nelly had a bit of stomach-ease if he did. Nick went back to drawing out a design for a new dresser that had come to him that morning while he waited for the boy to eat a decent breakfast. Probably the first he’d had since he’d gone to live with his relatives. Not for the first time he wondered who the boy’s parents had been and how they had died. If the boy truly was nearly nine as he’d claimed, it was possible the boy’s parents had died in the last war. If so, that meant the boy was at least entitled to survivor’s benefits as long as his parents were on the side of the Light, or at least couldn’t be proven to be Death Eaters. He doubted that was the case as there had been very few half-bloods and muggleborns under Voldemort’s rule. Unless the aunt or uncle were a squib which would explain their treatment of the boy. With a sigh Nick pushed the thoughts away. He had no idea how many scenarios and explanations had gone through his mind in the last eighteen hours in regards to the boy’s history. He hoped they would at least get a few answers from Gringotts.

“Nick?” Nick looked up as his wife and the boy stepped out from behind a wardrobe. Nelly beamed at him. “Are you done? I don’t think Harry or I could eat another bite.”

Nick tossed his pencil down and stood, stretching the kinks from his back. “Excellent. Well, then. What do you say we introduce you to Diagon Alley, Harry?”

The boy beamed up at them and nodded. Nick noticed Nelly had placed a plaster over the gash from the day before and wondered why it hadn’t healed yet. He pushed the thought aside knowing that some children had slower healing magic than others and moved around the counter. 

“I thought we could introduce Harry to the Knight Bus, Nick,” Nelly said excitedly and Nick laughed.

“You just want an excuse to ride that horrid contraption. What do you say, Harry? Ready to have the bejeebers scared out of you by a magical bus?” Harry looked from Nick to Nelly then nodded, a smile on his pink lips. Nick laughed. “Out voted. I should have known. Alright, well, don’t say I didn’t warn you.”

He led them out of the shop buttoning his cloak up in the cool November air and held his wand hand out. A moment later the familiar purple double-decker bus flew into view. “Make sure you hold on tight, Harry,” Nelly cautioned the boy as Nick paid the fare and told them their destination.

They clambered onto the bus and settled into the comfortable-looking armchairs. Nick held onto the arm of Harry’s chair as the bus shot out into traffic. Harry gave a small squeal and grasped Nick’s wrist as his seat lurched forward. Nelly laughed her delightful tinkle, and Nick couldn’t hold back his smile at the beautiful sound. The bus gave a sharp turn causing their seats to slide. Harry let out a gleeful laugh, and Nick glanced over to see a tear in Nelly’s eye at the sound. For once Nick was glad Nelly had talked him into riding this horrid mode of transportation. They got off outside the Leaky Cauldron, and Nick explained this was the muggle entrance to Diagon Alley. They stepped into the dimly lit pub, and Nick waved to Tom and a few wizards he knew. Harry clutched Nelly’s hand as they made their way to the patio and Nick tapped his wand on the bricks. He glanced over at Harry as Diagon Alley was revealed to him for the first time. The green eyes were wide with wonder as they made their way past the shops,  Harry trying his best to take everything in. Several people nodded to Nick and Nelly as they passed, curious eyes on the boy between them. No one stopped the couple, however, long since accepting the oddities of the witch and wizard. 

Once inside the bank, Nick bypassed the line of waiting customers and turned down a gold-carpeted hallway. He stopped at a desk, and a narrow-eyed goblin looked over the trio.

“Are you expected, Sir Nicholas?”

“No,” Nick replied curtly. “Some urgent business has come up, and I need to speak to Bentwood immediately.”

The goblin gave a small nod. “I will see if he is available.” It was only a formality and they both knew it. Nick waited patiently as the goblin made his way over to the door behind the desk and stuck his head in. The sound of rough grumbles and grunting came before the goblin stepped back, holding the door open. “Master Bentwood will see you.”

Nick nodded to the goblin as they passed and led Harry into the large office. The floor was covered in a plush blue carpet, and display shelves of goblin-forged weapons lined two walls. Across from the door a distinguished-looking goblin sat behind a large, oak desk. The desk was empty, no doubt whatever the goblin had been working on had been magicked away at the mention that Nick was there. The goblin smoothed down the lapel of his suit and took in the tableue. 

“Sir Nick, what brings you to Gringotts today?”

Nick gave a small bow of respect to his account manager. “Nelly and I found a magical orphan, and we would like to have an Ancestry test performed to see if he has any magical relatives or guardian.”

The goblin made a motion with his hand, and Nick ushered Nelly and Harry forward to the chairs that appeared. “I see. The boy’s name?” the goblin looked at Harry, and Nick patted the boy’s back reassuringly.

“Um, Harry… Harry P-Potter, sir.”

“What?” Nick cried as Nelly gasped. Harry looked between the two adults.

“Is s-something wrong? Did I do something wrong?”

Nick quelled his surprise and placed a comforting hand on the boy’s head. “No. No, Harry. You did nothing wrong. I suppose Nelly and I should have asked about your last name yesterday.”

“I-is everything okay?” Harry asked warily.

Nick gave the boy a reassuring smile. “I can tell you that you haven’t got any relatives, Harry. At least none that the Ministry would deem acceptable. But from what I remember of your parents, you most likely do have a magical guardian.” Harry’s mouth dropped open.

“You knew my parents?”

“Well, not personally, but the entire magical world of Britain knows of your parents, Harry. And you,” Nick told the boy. “But we will talk about that later. For now, we should find out who your magical guardian is and get you away from those awful muggles.” Nick turned back to his goblin manager. “We’ll need those records as well as getting Harry access to his vaults.”

The goblin gave a stern nod. “I assume the boy does not have his key.” Nick shook his head. “Then we will still have to do the Ancestry test to prove he is who he says he is.”

“Of course,” Nick said and looked back at Harry. “It’s nothing too horrid, Harry. Bentwood here is going to place a piece of parchment in front of you and you will need to place a finger at the middle bottom. You’ll feel a small prick but that’s just magic taking a sample of your blood. Then we can watch your family tree grow on the parchment,” Nick added with a smile. Harry nodded hesitantly and they turned back to the goblin. Bentwood pulled a drawer open and a piece of parchment flew into his hand. He placed it on the desk and slid it over to rest in front of Harry. Harry hesitantly placed a finger on the parchment and gave a small jerk. As soon as a blood red script appeared under Harry’s finger, Nick pulled the boy’s hand back. Everyone in the room watched as the script spelled out Harry James Potter in crimson ink.

“That’s me!” Harry exclaimed, a bright smile on his face. “I really am magical.”

Nick laughed and gently ruffled the boy’s hair. “Of course you are, Harry.” 

They turned their attention back to the parchment, and the ink moved up, turning to black as it wrote out James Potter and Lily Evans in black script. “My parents,” Harry whispered, and Nick placed a comforting hand on the boy’s shoulder. They continued to watch as name after name was filled in on the parchment. Once the Ancestry tree had gone back five generations the ink stopped flowing and Bentwood grabbed the parchment up. He placed another piece of parchment on the desk.

“Once again, Mr. Potter,” the goblin instructed. “This will tell us who your guardians are, which vaults are yours, what inheritances you have coming, and any titles you currently hold.”

Harry looked at Nick who nodded reassuringly at the parchment. Once again Harry placed his finger on the parchment, this time at the top where Bentwood indicated. Another small jerk, but Harry kept his hand in place until his name once again appeared in crimson red ink. Nick watched as the rest of the parchment filled in. Harry James Potter (B. 31 July 1980) Son of James Fleamont Potter (B. 27 March 1960 D. 31 Oct. 1981) and Lily Jacqueline Evans (B. 30 Jan 1960 D. 31 Oct. 1981) Godson to Sirius Orion Black (B. 3 Nov. 1959) (Magical Guardian). Current vaults: Potter heir vault. Gryffindor heir vault. Current titles: Lord Potter. Lord Gryffindor. Inheritances upon majority: Potter Lordship vaults. Gryffindor Titleholder vaults. ⅓ shared ownership Hogwarts castle and lands. Potter Wizengamot seat. Gryffindor Wizengamot seat. Gryffindor Hogwarts Board of Trustees seat. All Potter holdings. Gryffindor Manor. 

Nick sat back in shock as the words scrolled across the parchment. Well, that was unexpected. He blinked up at the goblin. “Mr. Potter has no magical guardian.”

“That is correct. Mr. Black’s incarceration prevents him from fulfilling his role as guardian.”

“Incarceration,” Harry asked.

“Later, dear,” Nelly whispered to Harry. 

“My wife and I would like to claim guardianship of the boy,” Nick told his account manager and the goblin nodded.

“I will summon our ministry lawyer.” The goblin pulled out another strip of parchment and quill and scratched out a note. With a flick of his wrist the message flew off and they waited in silence. It took only five minutes before a harried looking wizard stepped into the room with a bow. His eyes widened at the sight of Nick but he said nothing as he made his way to the desk.

“You sent for me, Goblin Bentwood.”

“Yes. Sir Nick would like to request magical guardianship of this boy.” Bentwood waved his hand at Harry and the wizard glanced at the boy. “We have already run an Ancestry test as well as a  Holdings test.” The goblin motioned to the papers and the wizard pulled them over to look at them. Nick watched the man’s eyes go wide and his head snapped up to look at Harry. It took a second for the wizard to compose himself, and he turned his attention back to the papers.

“I thought Mr. Potter had been placed with relatives,” the young wizard said.

“His muggle relatives are abusive and a wizard with such esteemed holdings needs training from an early age. Not just in magic but in his duties,” Nick told the wizard.

“We can not allow just anyone to take control of Mr. Potter,” the wizard replied. “We could only allow someone that would not be tempted by the boy’s inheritances and future influence. He will hold an important place in the wizarding world as he gets older.”

“I am aware of that more so than even you, I think,” Nick replied. “But that is the future. Right now the boy needs a place he can call home and a place he can feel safe. We found him beaten and abandoned in an alley by his cousin. My wife has looked into the boy’s mind and seen even worse things. His aunt and uncle lock him in a cupboard without food. That is no way to treat a child, let alone one of such import. His godfather is in Azkaban, and I refuse to allow the boy to return to those horrid people. I’ve no doubt they will gladly sign over custody to my wife and I were we to approach them.”

“I think you will also find,” the goblin added, “that Sir Nick has no need of the boy’s wealth or possible future influence as he has his own wealth and influence in abundance.”

“I like Mr. Nick and Miss Nelly,” Harry said softly. “They took care of me and fed me. And Miss Nelly didn’t get mad when I made it rain flowers.”

The wizard let out a small sigh and looked at Nick. “Alright, Mr. Flamel. I’ll have the documents drawn up and we can meet this afternoon to visit the muggles.”

Nick smiled at the man and gave a nod. The wizard left as Nick turned back to the goblin. “We should have the papers signed by this evening. Please owl me with a time that would be good for you to go over Harry’s accounts. I want to make sure everything is in order for him. Perhaps there are some heirlooms or such he might like from his parents’ vault.”

Bentwood gave a nod. “Of course, Sir Nick. I will set up a time for next week. That should give you time to get the boy settled.”

Nick smiled at the goblin. “Thank you, Bentwood. As always, a pleasure doing business.” Nick turned to smile at Harry. “Well, Harry, all that’s left now is getting your relatives to sign the papers then you can come home with us.”

Harry blinked owlishly up at him. “Really?”

Nick nodded with a bright smile. “Yes. Really. What do you say to some ice cream to celebrate?”

“Oh, really, Nicolas,” Nelly admonished. “Lunch first then ice cream.” Nelly stood and held her hand out. “Come along, Harry. There’s this lovely little cafe that serves the greasiest fish and chips, and then we shall take you to Florean’s for the absolute best ice cream.” 

Harry took her hand and let Nelly lead him out of the goblin’s office. Nick gave the goblin a small wave as he followed his wife and new charge out of the office and bank. They stepped back into the bright sunshine of Diagon Alley and made their way to the small cafe Nelly had mentioned. Nick looked at his new little family and smiled with happiness, it had been so long since they’d had a child around. Nick shared several pleased glances with his wife as they watched the young boy enjoy his lunch. Afterwards they walked around the alley for a bit showing Harry all the amazing things available in the wizarding world. Once they had time for their food to settle, Nelly led them to Florean’s. They each got a different flavor so that Harry could try them, and Harry vowed that next time he was going to get the chocolate raspberry that Nelly had let him try. Nick could tell Nelly was anxious to take the boy to Twillfit’s but he cautioned her against it just in case something happened and they weren’t able to get the boy. She saw his wisdom and instead settled on buying Harry a book on Quidditch, making sure to add the charm that would keep his relatives from seeing it on the off chance the poor boy had to actually return to that house. While they waited for the afternoon to wear on, Nick decided to treat the boy to the muggle cinema. Harry was so grateful for the opportunity he was squirming in his seat as they waited for the movie to start. Harry had eaten half the bag of popcorn before the first preview came on, and when the movie started the boy barely moved he was so enraptured by the experience. Nick reached over and squeezed his wife’s shoulder when he heard her sniffle. By the time they made it back to Charing Cross it was nearly five o’clock so they headed to the Leaky Cauldron and Diagon Alley. 

The wizard from earlier was waiting for them in the lobby of the great bank, and he walked briskly towards them. He held out his hand when he met up with the small group. “I apologize for my rudeness earlier, Mr. Flamel. My name is Jonathan Worthington, Ministry barrister specializing in Wizarding, Goblin, and muggle law.”

Nick shook the man's hand. “Nice to meet you, Mr. Worthington. As you no doubt know, I am Nicolas Flamel and this is my wife Perenelle. And this,” Nick placed a hand on Harry’s head, “is Harry.”

Jonathan nodded politely to each of them and held up a file as he spoke to Harry. “Well, Harry, shall we go see if we can find you a new home?” Harry nodded vigorously and the small group headed back towards muggle London. Jonathan hailed a cab for them just outside the pub and they piled in with Jonathan up front next to the driver. Harry gave the driver the address to the Dursley’s, and the cab set off. Nick felt the boy’s body tense the closer they got to Surrey and he slipped his hand into the boy’s for reassurance. When the cab turned onto Privet Drive Harry’s hand squeezed Nick’s and Nelly placed a small kiss on the boy’s head. They pulled up to a boring-looking house and Jonathan asked the driver to wait. The small group made their way up to the house, and Jonathan knocked firmly on the door. Nick gave a small start when the door was yanked open by a large, obese man. His eyes went directly to Harry, and the man’s face began to turn an alarming shade of red.

“What’s the little hooligan done now?” the man growled out, and Harry pressed closer to Nick.

“Are you Mr. Vernon Dursley?” Jonathan asked, pulling the man’s gaze away from Harry.

“Aye. What’s the freak done?”

Jonathan cleared his throat. “Mr. Potter has done nothing, sir,” Jonathan stated firmly. “My name is Jonathan Worthington, and I am with Gringotts Bank legal department.”

“Legal department,” Vernon Dursley spat out, his entire attention on the barrister now. “I’ve never heard of a Gringott Bank.”

“Gringotts, Mr. Dursley. We are a wiza-”

“You don’t say that word around me,” Dursley bellowed, and Harry burrowed closer against Nick.

“I see you are aware of your nephew’s world,” Jonathan said stiffly, undeterred by Dursley’s rant. “That will make things much easier then. As I said, I am a barrister with the legal department and it has come to our attention that Mr. Potter lacks a magical guardian.” Dursley growled at the word but Jonathan ignored him. “Due to this, Mr. and Mrs. Flamel have agreed to take on Mr. Potter’s guardianship.”

“What?” Dursley snapped, his attention once again fully on Jonathan and what the man was saying. “What do you mean ‘guardianship’?”

“Just what it sounds like,” Jonathan assured the man. “Mr. Potter is due to inherit a lordship, and there are things he must be taught. Mr. Flamel is ready to take on that responsibility.”

“We aren’t sending him to that freak school,” Dursley snapped. “He doesn’t need to learn any of that freaky stuff. We won’t allow it in our house. And he doesn’t need a private tutor either. You people can stay out of my house.”

“We would be willing to allow Harry to live with us full time,” Nelly spoke up, and Dursley turned his attention to her. He narrowed his eyes at her before turning his head slightly, though he never took his eyes off Nelly.

“Petunia! Get in here.” A moment later a woman with a long-drawn face appeared in the doorway.

“What is it, Vernon?”

“These people want to take guardianship of the freak. Says he need special freak training for some lordship.” The woman turned her eyes on them and assessed them.

“We were told we had to house the boy,” she said, disgust clear in her voice. “He has to live with family for his safety. Dumbledore,” she spat the name out, “said the wards were for the boy’s protection.”

Nick furrowed his brows and turned to glance around the yard. He sent his magic out but found nothing. He turned back to the couple. “There are no wards here,” he told them.

“What!” the woman screeched. “He said  _ her  _ sacrifice bound the boy with protective wards to his blood.”

Nick shook his head. “Harry has no connection here. Regardless of blood, if the boy has no connection there can be no protective wards. He is no safer here than roaming the streets of London.”

The woman gave a small sniff. “Take him, then.” She waved her hand and turned to go.

“You’ll need to sign some papers,” Jonathan said quickly.

“Fine,” she snapped. “Give them over.” She held her hand out, and Jonathan flipped the file open and held out a pen. Petunia Dursley snatched the pen from Jonathan’s fingers and quickly signed the parchment before passing it on to her husband. Vernon snapped the file closed and held it out once he had added his signature.

“There. Now take the freak and leave.”

Nick looked down at Harry. “Harry, is there anything here you need or wish to take with you?” Harry shook his head, and Nick felt his heart clench that the small child had nothing. “Very well. Good day, sir. Madam. Come along, Harry. It has been a busy day, and you need your rest.” 

They turned from the slamming door and headed back towards the cab. “I will get these papers to the ministry and owl you a copy for your records,” Jonathan told them.

“Thank you,” Nick said with a nod. “I assume that this will remain private. Harry deserves his privacy, and it is no one’s business where the boy is residing.”

“Absolutely, sir. I will let Goblin Bentwood know the guardianship is legal and he will be in touch with you in regards to Mr. Potter’s finances.”

“Thank you, Mr. Worthington. If that is all, I believe we will walk from here. My shop is not far, and we may stop for a bite to eat on the way.”

Jonathan gave a nod. “Very well, Mr. Flamel. Take care.”

Jonathan stepped into the cab, and they watched it drive off before heading towards their shop. Nick looked down when Harry didn’t budge, and the boy looked up with bright green eyes. Nick knelt down to speak to the boy.

“Harry, what’s wrong?”

“I-is that it? I’m yours now? I don’t have to go back?”

“Oh, Harry,” Nick pulled the boy in for a tight hug. “Yes. You can come live with Nelly and I, and you never have to go back to the Dursley’s again.”

Harry gave a small cry and flung his arms around Nick’s neck in a tight hug. Eventually Nick convinced the boy to let him go, and they made their way back to the shop, stopping for some take away along the way. Nick quickly cleaned out a spare room and transfigured a bed while Nelly saw to the boy’s bath, and they tucked him in after repeatedly assuring the boy that this was indeed his room. At least for now, but Nick didn’t think it worth it to mention that they actually had a house and would be moving the boy there soon enough. For now though, it was easier to stay in the shop flat until things were settled. Nick stayed at the shop the following day while Nelly took Harry shopping. He knew Nelly planned on outfitting the boy with both muggle and wizarding attire as they enjoyed both sides of London and wanted Harry to fit in easily wherever they went. They returned later that afternoon with bags of clothes, books, and games. Nick finally explained that the flat was only temporary as they had a house so cautioned Harry against unpacking everything. That evening, Nelly made a delicious roast, and they taught Harry exploding snap after dinner. 

On Saturday, they took Harry to a nearby carnival, and Nick was glad Nelly had thought to bring along some Stomach-ease when Harry had too much spun sugar. In just the few short days they’d had Harry the boy was already starting to come out of his shell. It was obvious the boy was intelligent and fiercely protective of those he cared about. Nelly mentioned the boy was destined for Gryffindor and Nick couldn’t help but agree. There were times when Harry was absolutely fearless. The Tuesday after they received guardianship, Nick was back at Gringotts in Bentwood’s office. There were no surprises as far as he was concerned, everything with the boy’s estate was what he had expected. There were no proxies for any of the boy’s seats as they were all being held in abeyance, and Nick decided to keep it as such to prevent anyone becoming suspicious of where the boy was. He wasn’t sure why, but something deep inside him was telling Nick to keep Harry a secret. There had only been a few times in Nick’s long life when he hadn’t listened to his gut and every time something bad had happened. So for now, Harry would stay secreted away and his involvement with the boy would go unknown. Besides, Nick had felt the boy’s untapped potential and shuddered to think what would happen if the wrong person got their hands on the boy. The only issue that came up during the accounting was a small notation that Albus Dumbledore had tried on three separate occasions to enter the boy’s vault. Nick had never felt one hundred percent sure of Albus Dumbledore even when they had worked together on the dragon’s blood, so he requested to have the lock changed and a new key sent to Harry. The key Dumbledore held would disappear once the locks were changed preventing him from any future attempts. Nick mentioned it to Nelly but didn’t think it was anything Harry should be concerned with since the problem had been rectified so never brought it to the boy’s attention. 

Once Nick felt satisfied that their business in London was concluded he thought it was time to sit Harry down for a little talk. He found Harry in his room, a book spread open on his bed, and Harry avidly taking it in. Nick gave a small knock on the open door, and Harry’s head jerked up with a smile on his face.

“Hello, Nick. Is dinner ready?”

Nick smiled at the boy. “Not yet, but I wanted to have a word with you.”

“Sure,” Harry said, placing a ribbon in his book to mark his spot before closing it up. Harry moved to sit cross-legged on the bed and Nick joined him.

“Harry, I want you to feel like you can trust Nelly, and I and that you can come to us for anything. So I think it is important that we be as honest with you as possible. We will always try to answer your questions to the best of our abilities and guide you as best we can. Which is why I feel it is important that I tell you our secret before you find out some other way.” Harry tilted his head slightly as his eyes cast a questioning look. “You have learned a lot about the wizarding world in the last few weeks, I think. Yet, you will notice Nelly and I live primarily in the muggle world.”

“I had thought about that,” Harry admitted. “I just thought you preferred it.”

Nick let out a small chuckle. “Sometimes we do. Sometimes we get bored with our magical lives and step out into the muggle world to see the changes time has wrought.” Harry furrowed his brows. “You see, Harry. I am what is called an alchemist. It is a form of elemental and transfiguration magic. One of my greatest achievements is the Elixir of Life, which allows the drinker to have an extended life. Harry, Nelly and I were born in the 1330s and have lived very long lives thanks to my invention. We have traveled all over the world and learned all sorts of magics. It will be an honor to pass my knowledge on to you and to watch you grow into your own powers.”

Harry’s jaw dropped at Nick’s words and he blinked at the man. “You’re immortal?”

Nick laughed. “No, Harry. I can die just as easily as you can. But as long as I drink the potion I have an extended life. I just didn’t want you to think I was trying to hide anything from you because I have no doubt you will read about me at some point.”

“Thank you for your honesty, Nick,” Harry said politely, and Nick couldn’t help but ruffle his wild hair.

“You are welcome, Harry. Now, another reason I brought this up is because I think it’s time to take you home. Nelly is ready to get back to her plants and creatures, and I could use a break from these constricting muggle clothes.” Harry chuckled. “So, tomorrow we will teach you how to use the Floo and introduce you to Fire Island, our home.” Harry nodded excitedly just as Nelly called them down for dinner.

 

It truly was an island. Nick explained how the wards extended out a mile around the island, so they had some room to play in the ocean. One side of the island hosted a crystal white beach that ended at a cliff wall. Harry learned there was a small inlet on the other side of the beach that was accessible by Apparition or a cavern that led from a cave near the manor to the isolated beach. Not far from the sprawling manor house there was a large, crystal-clear lake hidden among trees of an exotic forest. The opposite side of the island was off limits due to the fire crabs, miniature Welsh dragons, and other dangerous creatures. Harry was warned repeatedly not to venture to that side until he had been properly introduced to the creatures by Nick or Nelly and had a healthy respect for the creatures. Nelly promised to teach him how to handle the different inhabitants of the island. There was a large garden and greenhouse near the manor that Nelly spoke of with pride. Inside the manor there were rooms galore, and Nick let Harry pick out any room he wanted. Harry chose a large suite with its own en suite and a balcony that overlooked the maze garden below. Harry felt as if he had suddenly discovered he was a royal prince and some magical genie had granted every single wish he’d ever had. At the sight of the library, Harry realised just how much Nick had to teach him, and he couldn’t wait, vowing to be the best pupil ever. 

The room Harry had chosen came equipped with a small office area that included a desk and bookshelf. Nelly and Nick helped Harry fill the bookshelf with books ranging from muggle fiction to Wizarding laws to Newt Scamander’s latest book. Harry loved curling up in the library after dinner with Nick and Nelly, each wrapped up in their own reading. During the days Nick returned to his shop and sometimes Harry and Nelly would accompany him. Some days Harry read and sometimes he helped Nick, learning the soothing art of woodcarving. On the days Harry and Nelly stayed on the island they spent most of the time outside in the garden, greenhouse, or with the magical creatures of the island. Harry was slowly learning the proper way to treat a dragon, how to converse respectfully with a centaur, and the best way to soothe a baby mandrake. Harry wasn’t allowed to have a wand yet so most of his learning was theoretical rather than practical, but Harry didn’t mind. He loved learning about wizarding culture, magical history, and all the things that made him unique. 

It wasn’t all study for Harry though. Plenty of times Nick, Nelly, or both of them would take Harry to various places. The cinema never got old, and Harry learned to appreciate live plays as well. They had spent a week in Paris where Nick and Nelly introduced Harry to the opera. Harry realized Nick and Nelly must have spent quite a bit of time in France because their French was perfect. When they returned home, Harry asked Nelly to teach him the beautiful language which she was more than happy to do. On a trip to the London zoo, Nelly discovered Harry was already fluent in another language and squealed with glee when Harry began talking to a snake. The rest of the afternoon she went on and on about how excited Nick would be when he found out Harry was a Parselmouth. Nick was indeed beaming with joy when he showed Harry the entire collection of books written in Parselscript and informed Harry that once Harry was older he would begin to train him in Parselmagic. Over the next few weeks Nick demanded Harry speak in nothing but Parseltongue as it had been years since the older wizard had had anyone to converse with in the magical language. Nelly eventually banned the sibilant language from the dinner table with the comment that it was rude to speak a language that not everyone could converse in. So Harry switched to his limited French.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you all for the lovely comments. I'm glad you are enjoying this so far, I just hope I can live up to your expectations. We're finally going to start to see how the Flamels' rescue of Harry impacts his Hogwarts years. I updated the final chapter count for you guys. Also, you people are way too excited to see Dumbledore get his. :)

“Muuuum!”

Nelly turned from where she had been repotting a sleeping nettle to see the scrawny, dark haired boy striding petulantly through the garden. She let out a sigh, having a very good idea what the boy was about to say. She watched in resignation as the too-small boy wound his way around the plants and jumped over a patch of tripping vines. No matter how much she and Nick had fed the boy, his years of abuse at the hands of those horrid muggles had wrought their damage leaving the boy too small for his age. Harry finally reached the greenhouse and outside work table where Nelly stood. He tossed a cream colored parchment onto a pile of dirt and crossed his arms. Nelly raised her brows in question, waiting for the whine. She did not have to wait long.

“Papa says I have to go. I don’t want to go. Can’t you continue teaching me?”

Nelly sighed and picked up the letter of introduction to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. “Harry, Hogwarts is a very good school. One of the best in Europe. Besides, you need to meet other witches and wizards your age. It’ll be good to have friends. You can’t stay isolated forever.”

“But I’m so far ahead of them in magical theory,” Harry argued. “All I need is my wand and then I can practice spells and such.”

Nelly eyed the boy, her mind swimming with ways to bribe the boy. She gave a small smirk and Harry’s eyes suddenly widened in fear. “I’ll make a deal with you. If you attend Hogwarts, I’ll make sure Nick gives you access to the Parselbooks.” Harry’s mouth gaped open, and Nelly hurried on. “Now, I can’t promise he’ll teach you Parselmagic right away, but at least you can read the books.”

Harry’s lips turned in a pout. “That’s pure evil, mum. You know how much I want to read those books.”

Nelly chuckled and began clapping the dirt from her hands. “Hmm. Now, why don’t you go tell Papa it’s time we head to Diagon Alley to get your school supplies?”

Harry huffed and snatched up the letter before storming back through the garden. Nelly chuckled to herself. She wasn’t about to tell the boy Nick had already planned on letting him have access to the books after his first year of schooling. She may have attended Beauxbatons, but she could be a Slytherin when she needed to. 

 

Nick helped Harry load his trunk in the compartment while Nelly held the snow white owl Harry had picked out on their trip to Diagon Alley. Nick shoved a small bag in Harry’s hand.

“There’s a bit of money for the trolley, but Nelly’s packed you a decent lunch,” Nick said as Harry stuffed the pouch in his pocket. 

“Don’t fill up on sweets,” Nelly cautioned and Harry smiled at her.

“I promise, mum. And I promise to write,” he added as he reached for the caged animal.

“Do try to stay out of trouble, love,” Nelly said, relinquishing the handle. Harry smiled brightly at her, his green eyes twinkling. He still found it hard to believe how clear everything was. It had only been six months earlier that he had finally admitted he had trouble seeing. Nick had immediately brewed a potion that had corrected Harry’s eyesight and he was still amazed at the clarity of everything. Once Nick and Nelly were sure Harry was settled they said their goodbyes, and Harry turned to settle in for the long train ride. He pulled out his copy of  _ Magical Drafts and Potions _ and a biro to continue making notes in the margins of his book. He had already read through the thing twice and had noted where several recipes could be improved. He had barely gotten started when his attention was pulled away by the sound of his name.

“...Potter.” Harry looked out the window to see a plump woman with bright red hair surrounded by a gaggle of similarly colored children of various ages. She tapped a young boy on the head.

“Hush, Ronald. You will befriend the poor orphan and that’s all there is to it.”

“There’s Lee,” one of the identical twin boys cried and he dragged his twin off.

“And I’m going to marry him, aren’t I, mama?” Harry narrowed his eyes at the small red-headed girl that had spoken. The matron turned to smile brightly at the girl. 

“Of course, dear. And think of all the lovely robes and things he will buy for you.” The girl gave a bright smile and a small hop.

“I can’t wait to meet him.” She gave a small sigh and was soon lost in her own world. Harry’s brows went up in disbelief.

“If Dumbledore hadn’t promised me a spot on the quidditch team and with the Aurors I wouldn’t have anything to do with the spoiled prat,” the boy grumbled.

“Professor Dumbledore, Ronald,” the oldest redhead of the group said. “You’ll make sure and befriend Potter too. I won’t risk not getting a position at the ministry because you’re rude to the boy.”

“Yes, yes,” the mother agreed. “The Potter boy will open so very many doors for us, Ronnie. And if you are good he might even share some of his money with you. Buy you things.”

Harry huffed and sat back in his seat. He very much doubted he’d have anything to do with any of those redheads. Harry turned his attention back to his book and crossed out the instructions to slice a Firebloom stem, dicing was so much better with that particular plant. Harry was lost in his corrections and ignored whomever it was that had settled in the compartment with him. At least until the train was moving and a small cough got his attention. Harry looked up and bit back a groan to see the redheaded boy sitting in the seat across from him.

“Uh, hi,” the boy said hesitantly.

“Hello,” Harry replied.

“I’m Ron,” the boy said. “Ron Weasley.”

Harry blinked at the boy. “Harry.”

“Um, nice to meet you,” the boy murmured awkwardly. “What’re you doing? What’s that you’ve got there?” Ron asked, indicating the biro in Harry’s hand.

“This is a pen. It is a muggle writing instrument. Much more practical than a quill on a moving train. I am making corrections in my potions book.”

“Er, can you do that?”

Harry blinked at the boy as if he were an idiot. “Obviously,” Harry stated blandly.

The boy’s face went red, and Harry could tell the boy was biting his tongue. “So, er, what house are you hoping to be sorted into?”

“I don’t much care,” Harry said distractedly as he made a small notation beside the Boil Cure recipe. 

“But, what if you go into Slytherin?” Ron said indignantly. “Nothing good ever comes out of Slytherin.”

“I highly doubt that,” Harry said as he flipped the page. Just then their compartment door opened and a boy with blond hair and an angular face stuck his head in. His ice blue eyes ran over Harry.

“They said Harry Potter was on the train.”

“Did they?” Harry asked, returning the boy’s assessment.

The boy stuck his hand out. “Draco Malfoy.” His eyes swept over Ron dismissively. “Come with me and I’ll introduce you to the right sort of people.”

Harry eyed the boy’s hand. He knew all about the Malfoys. Nick and Nelly had been very informative of the man that had killed Harry’s parents, not believing in keeping such things from him. Green eyes met icy blue. “While I appreciate the offer, I am quite adept at aligning myself with the appropriate people,” Harry informed the boy. He shot a glance at Weasley before looking back at Malfoy. “I have no intentions of befriending those that merely wish to have the claim of calling me a friend. Besides, wasn’t your father one of Voldemort’s most supportive followers? I doubt it would look very good if you were to be seen cozying up to the boy that killed your father’s master.”

Malfoy’s face turned a bright red, and Ron snickered behind Harry. But before Malfoy could say anything, a boy with dark blond hair appeared in the corridor. “Pardon me, but have any of you seen a toad?”

Relief swept through Harry. “I have not. But I would be more than glad to help you look.” Harry snapped his book closed and stood up. He pushed his way past Malfoy, and the chubby boy in the corridor smiled shyly at him. Harry smiled politely back. “I’m Harry.”

“Hello, Harry,” the boy said politely and held his hand out. “Neville Longbottom.”

Harry took the hand and gave it a firm shake. “Hello, Neville. Now, where was the last place you saw your toad?”

Neville led Harry down the corridor and pointed to his compartment. Harry reached into his back pocket and pulled out his wand. “Does your toad have a name?”

“Trevor,” Neville supplied.

“Accio Trevor The Toad.” There was a loud croak and a moment later a green blur came flying out from under the seat. Harry caught the animal and handed it gently to Neville.

“That was brilliant,” Neville cried as he hugged the toad to his chest. “Thanks.”

“Where did you learn that?” Harry and Neville turned to the voice to see a girl with bushy brown hair already in her school robes. “That spell isn’t in any of our books.”

“My mum uses it all the time,” Harry informed the young witch. “Have you really already read through all the books?” Harry asked curiously.

“Oh yes,” the girl said with a vigorous nod of her bushy hair. “Haven’t you?”

“Of course. In fact, I’ve already started making corrections to the potions book. Can you imagine the author actually thought stripping the thorns from a sleeping nettle made it more potent?”

The girl tilted her head in contemplation. “It doesn’t? How do you know?”

“My mum is a Herbology master. She’s taught me all she knows. Well, perhaps not all. At least not yet,” Harry added with a smile. 

“That’s amazing,” the girl said, stepping into the compartment and reaching up to rummage through her trunk. She pulled out her own potions book and flipped it open. Harry and Neville moved to sit beside her, and Harry flipped his own book back open. He pulled his pen out and handed it to the girl who started making her own notes. She smiled brightly up at him. “I’m Hermione Granger by the way.”

“Harry Potter.”

“You’re Harry Potter!” Neville exclaimed, and Harry felt his cheeks heat up.

“Er, yeah.”

“You really are amazing,” Neville said as he gaped at Harry.

“Not really. Just got lucky to have a mum that knew some ancient magicks is all.”

Neville gave him an incredulous look. “If you say so.”

“I thought you said your mum was a Herbologist,” Hermione pointed out.

“Obviously she’s not my real mum,” Harry said. “She and my papa are my magical guardians. I’ve lived with them since I was eight, and they’ve taught me loads.”

“That must be nice,” Hermione said wistfully. “I wish I had a magical guardian to teach me. My parents are muggles so we had to have someone take us to Diagon Alley to get my school stuff. But now I’ve got a wand, and I can get us in there next year. I’m going to buy tons of books to learn all about the wizarding world. It’s so fascinating, don’t you think?”

Harry nodded in agreement, and the three new friends spent a long time talking about how excited they were to attend Hogwarts. Harry was glad Nick and Nelly had made him go. Harry returned to his compartment long enough to grab the lunch Nelly had packed him and noticed the compartment was now empty. He snatched up Hedwig’s cage and took it back to the compartment he was now sharing with Neville and Hermione. He enjoyed their company. Hermione was smart and Neville, being a pureblood, knew a lot about the wizarding world. The three friends talked the rest of the train ride, and Harry bought chocolate frogs and cauldron cakes from the trolley which they all shared. 

The castle was magnificent, and Harry had to catch Trevor more than once along the way but he didn’t mind. He thought it a good idea to teach Neville the Summoning charm if he was going to keep losing his pet. When first Hermione then Neville were sorted into Gryffindor Harry thought he might like to be placed with his new friends. He had a nice long talk with the sentient sorting hat which eventually agreed to place him in the house of lions, and Harry gleefully joined his new friends. He shared a look with Neville when the Weasley boy was sorted into Gryffindor but decided he could deal with the idiot on a limited basis. They followed the crowd to the tower, and Harry and Neville wished Hermione goodnight before separating to go up to their dorm. Harry noticed Ronald constantly gave him sly looks as they got ready for bed, but he ignored the redhead and climbed into the strange bed.

They received their class schedules the next morning at breakfast which Harry eagerly read through. He was a bit disappointed he would have to wait until Friday for his first potions class, but at least they had Herbology on Wednesday. It was easy for Harry to see Neville had an innate affinity with the plants and vowed to write to his mum about Neville coming over during the summer to visit. The small group quickly claimed a table in the library and met there after classes to work on their homework to avoid the Weasley boy. 

On Friday morning, Harry could barely contain his excitement for that day’s potions class. He had caught the potions professor giving him odd looks. Harry had a feeling the man might not like him on principle but was determined to do well in the man’s class. It wasn’t as if he actually needed the class, what with his father being an alchemist, after all. Harry’s suspicions were confirmed when the man, Professor Snape, greeted him with “our new celebrity” during roll call, and when he was called out with:

“Potter! What would I get if I added powdered root of asphodel to an infusion of wormwood?”

Harry gave a mental smirk. So, the big bad Slytherin wanted to play, did he? Well, Harry was more than willing to show the man he wasn’t some idiotic dunce. “Draught of Living Death, Sir. A very powerful sleeping potion that can put the drinker into a deep slumber. If brewed right it stays a consistent lilac color until the Valerian root is added during the last phase, where upon it turns clear. The most common antidote is the Wiggenweld Potion, Professor.”

The man seemed somewhere between slightly disappointed and somewhat surprised. He gave a small nod and turned his attention to scan the room. “Longbottom! What is the difference between Monkshood and wolfsbane?”

Neville gave a small stutter before Harry reached over to squeeze the other boy’s knee in encouragement.  _ Neville knows this _ , Harry thought, sending a mental encouragement to his friend. The boy was already a genius at plants. “Th-there is no difference, sir. Wolfsbane and Monkshood are the s-same,” Neville continued, his voice growing in confidence as he spoke. “Although Potioneers often use the term Wolfsbane in reference to the plant since it is the main ingredient in the Wolfsbane potion used to control werewolves, while Herbalists tend to refer to the plant as monkshood and muggles refer to it as aconite. It is currently only endemic to the wilds of Scotland.”

Snape’s eyes narrowed at Neville before he turned his attention to the Slytherin side of the room. “Parkinson, where would you look if I told you to find me a bezoar?”

“In the stomach of a goat, sir,” a girl with long, dark hair answered.

“Excellent,” Snape said. “Two points to Slytherin for coming to class prepared.” Harry gave a mental scoff at the blatant favoritism but wisely kept his mouth shut. Snape soon had them working on the boils cure potion. Harry stopped Neville’s hand when he went to add the porcupine quills.

“Douse your flame,” he cautioned the boy. “Remember, ginger root is highly volatile under a high flame.”

Neville nodded and did as Harry instructed before adding the quills. Both boys smiled in satisfaction as their potion came to a slow roiling bubble before calming down. They ladeled a sample up and went to hand it in. During dinner that evening Hermione mentioned a break in at Gringotts that had occurred over the summer, and the trio got into a discussion on the supposed tight security of the goblin institute. Harry mentioned the testing the goblins had done for him and the other two Gryffindors thought it might be interesting to do something like that when they got older. 

Harry wasn’t quite sure how he ended up on the quidditch team, but Nick had been completely ecstatic, even going so far as to send Harry the new Nimbus 2000 he had been eyeing over the summer. Harry eagerly joined in the quidditch practices and discovered that the twin Weasleys weren’t near as bad as their brothers, even often making disparaging remarks about the youngest Weasley boy’s lack of motivation and eldest’s tendency to be a bit of a prude. On Halloween, Ron made a rude comment to Hermione just after Charms class, and Harry and Neville both glared at the redhead. Hermione assured them she was okay, but Harry kept a worried eye on her during their next class. He could tell Ron’s words had upset her so rather than follow everyone into dinner, he and Neville pulled her into an unused classroom.

“I don’t know why it upset me,” Hermione said, her voice wobbly as they comforted her. “He’s a total prat and his opinion doesn’t mean a thing.”

“He’s a berk,” Harry agreed. “Fred and George say he hasn’t got any talent and tries to coast along.”

Neville gave a bark of laughter. “He hasn’t got anything to coast on.”

Hermione let out a watery chuckle. “Thanks, guys. I think running into you on the train was the best moment of my life. I was so afraid I was going to be an outcast in the wizarding world as well. That I wouldn’t have any friends.”

“Aww,” Harry said, pulling Hermione into a hug. “We’ll always be your friend.”

“Yeah,” Neville agreed. “You’re too smart to let get away. We need you,” Neville teased.

Hermione laughed. “I think you and Harry do just fine.”

“Well, this Harry won’t be doing ‘just fine’ for much longer if we don’t get to the feast. I’m starved,” Harry said, emphasizing the point by placing his hands on his stomach.

Hermione laughed. “Alright, just don’t gobble your food like Weasley.”

Harry gave a mortified look as they headed out of the classroom. “Bite your tongue, heathen.” The small group laughed and headed down the corridor. They froze at the sound of a loud roar, and Hermione grabbed at Harry’s arm. 

“What was that?”

“I don’t know,” Harry answered softly as they slowed their steps.

“It came from around the corner,” Neville hissed as he grabbed onto Hermione’s arm. The trio cautiously made their way forward. “Should we go get a teacher?”

“How?” Hermione hissed. “Everyone’s in the Great Hall and that’s  _ that _ way,” she added indicating the direction they were going. They reached the corner of the corridor and Harry peeked around.

“It’s empty,” he informed his friends, and they rounded the corner on a sigh of relief. At least until one of the doors down the hall slammed open and a giant beast carrying a large, spiked club tromped out. Hermione opened her mouth to scream but Harry slapped his hand over her. “Shh. That’s a mountain troll. They’re the most violent of all the trolls. Hermione, do you know the sky lights spell?”

Hermione nodded. “I read about it in that Natural Phenomenon Spells book I was reading last week.”

“Good. Cast that at the ceiling. It will distract him long enough for Neville and I to get off a combined stunner. It’s Petrificus Totalus,” Harry told Neville and showed him the wand movement. Neville practiced it a few times until Harry nodded at him then turned to nod at Hermione to cast her spell. Hermione lifted her wand at the ceiling.

“Aurorus,” she whispered intently and immediately the hall filled with an eerie green and blue dancing light. The troll paused in his clomping and stared up at the light show. Harry touched Neville’s arm and nodded at his friend. They aimed their wands at the creature.

“Petrificus Totalus,” they intoned together and the trio watched the giant troll freeze up and crash to the floor, causing all three students to jump.

“Professor now!” Harry demanded and pushed on Neville to get him going.

“There won’t be any need for that, Mr. Potter,” a voice came causing the trio to look up past the troll to see Professors Snape and McGonagall standing at the other end of the corridor. McGonagall spoke again as they moved closer. “That was quite impressive. Might I inquire as to how you knew to use the Aurorus to distract him?”

“My mum told me,” Harry answered. He noticed Snape give a small jerk in surprise but it was once again McGonagall who spoke.

“Your mother?”

“Well, obviously not my real mum, professor, since she’s dead. Ms. Nelly is my magical guardian. Didn’t you know?”

McGonagall blinked at him in surprise. “I was under the impression you had been placed with your aunt, Mr. Potter.”

“Oh, sure,” Harry said with a shrug. “But Mr. Nick and Ms. Nelly didn’t like the way they were treating me so they adopted me. Ms. Nelly said every boy deserves a proper bedroom not some cupboard under the stairs and no eight year old should be made to cook meals for a family when he isn’t even going to get to eat them.” Harry gave another shrug. “So they took me and gave me a proper room and Ms. Nelly taught me all about how to deal with magical creatures and plants and Mr. Nick is going to let me read books on Parselmagic over the summer. Anyway, since you and Professor Snape are here now, can Hermione, Neville, and I go to the feast? It’s where we were heading when we ran across the troll and we’re starving.”

“Why were you not at the feast?” Snape finally spoke up sounding as if he’d love a reason to take points.

“It’s my fault, professor. I was upset by something Ronald Weasley said earlier, and Harry and Neville were only trying to cheer me up. We didn’t mean to be late to the feast.”

“Well, no harm done,” McGonagall cut in. “Five points each to Gryffindor for staying calm in the face of danger. Get to the dorm, Professor Snape and I will handle it from here. I will have a house elf bring you up some sandwiches.”

“Thank you, Professor,” the trio said as they made their way past the professors. Harry noticed Snape was giving him an odd look but ignored it. The man had all but ignored Harry since that first day in class, and Harry was perfectly happy to keep it that way. Talk of the escaped troll was making its way around the common room when they entered, and the trio remained silent of their parts and made their way over to a corner. Professor McGonagall arrived a half hour later and shooed everyone to their dorms before calling Harry, Neville, and Hermione into her office for the promised sandwiches. The three friends talked about their homework assignments as they ate, avoiding the topic of the troll. As far as they were concerned it had been taken care of.

As the first quidditch game of the season drew near Harry became more and more nervous. When Nick mentioned coming to watch Harry he emphatically wrote back for the man not to because he was already nervous enough. Nick agreed as long as Harry promised to place anti-curse wards on his broom since he was playing against the Slytherins. Harry promised and he and Hermione did so just before the game. He was glad he did, because just as he was heading for the snitch he felt the wards deflect a curse. By the time he regained his balance he had lost the snitch and spent several precious minutes looking for the small, golden ball. He eventually spotted it and went soaring for the fluttering ball. As he was reaching for the snitch his broom gave another jolt and somehow Harry ended up catching the snitch in his mouth.  Hermione and Neville teased him relentlessly about the catch and the trio firmly believed some Slytherin had tried to hex Harry’s broom. They were glad they had put those wards on.

As Christmas neared, rumors of a three-headed dog began to make their way around the school. Harry made Hermione and Neville carry around small flutes and taught them a few tunes to lull the animal just in case the rumors were true and they ran into the Cerberus. McGonagall tracked Harry down one afternoon outside the Great Hall.

“Mr. Potter, I had wondered if you were staying at Hogwarts for Christmas.”

“No, Ma’am,” Harry shook his head. “Mr. Nick is expecting me home.”

“I’m not so sure about this Mr. Nick, Harry,” McGonagall told him as she pulled him off to the side. “Are you sure he can be trusted? You know, you are a very famous boy in our world. I would hate to see you taken advantage of. Besides, how safe can they keep you? Surely the wards around your relatives’ would be much safer.”

“There weren’t any wards around my relatives’, professor. Mr. Nick said the wards would only be in place as long as I felt safe and loved there so if there ever was any they were long gone.” McGonagall looked at him as if she had no idea what to say. “Can I go join my friends now, professor? I’m awfully hungry.” She gave a muted nod and Harry went to join his friends.

“What was that about, Harry?” Neville enquired when Harry sat down.

“She wanted to know if I was staying for the holidays.” Harry lowered his voice and leaned in causing his friends to lean in as well. “I don’t think someone is too happy that I don’t live with my relatives.”

“Why do you say that, Harry?” Hermione asked.

“Professor McGonagall just seemed pretty adamant about finding out who my guardians were and why I wasn’t living with my relatives.”

“Do you suppose it’s the headmaster?” Neville hissed and Harry nodded.

“Possibly. All I know is he tried to access my vaults when I was younger. Nick didn’t tell me, of course,” Harry said, adding to a conversation he had had with his friends back in September when he had told them about his relatives. “I only know because I saw a vault statement last year. I also know the headmaster was the one to place me with the Dursleys.”

“Professor McGonagall is whispering to Professor Snape,” Hermione told them, her eyes darting to the head table and back to them. “Professor Snape is looking over here.”

“Do you suppose all three of them are in on whatever it is together?” Neville asked.

Harry shrugged. “I don’t know. Just be careful what you say to any of the teachers. Especially if they start asking about me.”

Hermione and Neville nodded emphatically. “Right.”

 

When Harry returned from the holidays, there was a plainly wrapped package waiting on his bed. He carefully slipped the plain, white card from beneath the twine and read the message that whatever was in the package had been his father’s. Harry cautiously unwrapped the package to find the most amazing Cloak of Invisibility he had ever seen. He immediately slipped it on, and his roommates oohed and awed over it. Harry caught the jealous look on Weasley’s face but ignored it as he wrapped the cloak around Neville’s shoulders. That night Harry locked the cloak away in his trunk and wondered who had given it to him. Had it been the headmaster? A way to get into Harry’s good graces perhaps? But why would the headmaster have it? And why only give it to him now? And what else of his parents’ did the headmaster have? Harry thought it might be time to talk to Nick this summer.

A few weeks later, the trio were making their way to their dorms from the library when the stairs they were on shifted, taking them to an unexpected corridor. They waited for several minutes, but the stairs didn’t move back.

“I think these have finally settled for the night,” Neville said, disheartened. Hermione pointed down the corridor.

“I think down there and through the old Charms classroom is a corridor that leads to another set of stairs.”

Harry and Neville shrugged and set out to follow Hermione. They made it to the old Charms classroom, a stack of books still piled behind a podium as if waiting for Professor Flitwick. A large, shrouded object caught Harry’s attention.

“Wait.” He moved over to the object and reached up to pull the sheet from it.

“Harry, wait,” Hermione cautioned, but it was too late. The trio gasped at the beautiful mirror that was revealed. Hermione read out the strange incantation over the top of the mirror as they drew closer. Harry gaped and quickly turned to see if what he was seeing in the mirror was real. He was standing there beside Nick and Nelly and a man that looked remarkably like him as well as a woman that had his same vivid green eyes. Behind them, spread out as far as the eye could see were others with Harry’s hair, his eyes, even his cheekbones.

“Oh!” Hermione cried and Harry turned to her.

“Do you see it?”

“I see… something,” she answered, and they turned to Neville who was gaping at the mirror, his eyes shining with tears. “Nev,” Hermione said softly, reaching a hand out to rest on Neville’s arm. The blond turned to them and blinked furiously. “What did you see?” she asked softly and Neville just shook his head and took a step back. 

“I saw Nick and Nelly,” Harry answered, pulling the attention to him. “And I think I saw my parents and… and my family.”

“I was Minister of Magic,” Hermione said. “And you and Neville were right there beside me.” She looked up at the mirror for a moment and tilted her head. “Erised… Erised… Oh!” She stepped up to the mirror and ran her finger from right to left as she spoke slowly. “I show... not your... face but your... heart’s desire.” There was a sound out in the corridor, jerking the three from their revelation, and Hermione grabbed the sheet from Harry’s hand. She tossed it over the mirror. “Come on, I don’t think we’re supposed to be here.”

Harry nodded, and they headed out of the old classroom. They found the next set of stairs easily and quickly made their way to their dorms. Once again they were stopped, this time by the sound of angry voices coming from a classroom. 

“...d-don’t know w-what you m-mean, S-Severus.”

“Quirrel,” Hermione hissed naming their Defense professor and Harry nodded.

“I think you do,” came Snape’s icy tone. “I heard you asking Hagrid about that great beast of his.”

“N-no. Not at all,” Quirrel exclaimed.

“It’s not up to you to worry about the protections Dumbledore has put in place for the philosopher's stone.” Harry furrowed his brow in confusion.

“B-but it is here then,” Quirrell said, sounding anxious. “Isn’t it?”

“If Nicholas Flamel sought to trust Dumbledore with his most prized possession it is not up to you to question.”

Hermione shot Harry a questioning look and he shook his head. He pulled back, pulling Neville and Hermione with him. They made their way to Gryffindor tower and tumbled into the common room. They quickly made their way to a corner and huddled together. 

“Harry, I don’t understand,” Neville said, and Harry was glad to see the conversation between Snape and Quirrell had worked to take his friend’s mind off of whatever he’d seen in the mirror. 

“Me either,” Harry answered. “But I know Nick would never trust Dumbledore with the stone. In fact, I know the stone is kept on the island and it’s got more protections than a three-headed cerberus guarding it. But I’m going to write him anyway because Dumbledore definitely has at least Snape and Quirrell thinking that stone is here.”

Hermione and Neville nodded in agreement. “Do you suppose Snape was after it as well?” Neville asked.

“It didn’t really sound like it,” Hermione said thoughtfully. “He sounded like he didn’t want the stone here any more than he wanted to teach Gryffindors.” Harry and Neville laughed at her comparison.

“Well, I’m going to go write Nick. I’ll let you know what he says,” Harry said and jumped up to go gather paper and quill to write Nick. 

A few days later Harry was relieved to tell Hermione and Neville the stone was still safe on Fire Island, and they put the incident from their minds. If Dumbledore wanted to play games with his teachers, that was fine by them. The rest of the term seemed to fly by and before they knew it they were making plans to visit each other over the summer holidays and cramming for their final exams. Harry was quite certain he passed his potions exam with flying colors so was surprised when Snape hailed him down after dinner and led Harry to his office.

“Sit down, Potter.” Harry obeyed as the man moved behind his desk. Once settled the man locked eyes with Harry in an intense stare. “Professor Dumbledore is concerned with these supposed guardians you will be returning to.”

“If you don’t mind me asking, sir,” Harry cut in. “Why are you the one talking to me and not my Head of House?”

“Apparently,” Snape spat out, “you were unable to answer Professor McGonagall's enquiries satisfactorily. So now the unpleasant duty falls to me.”

Harry started to laugh as he began to understand. He cut his laughter off at Snape’s irate look. “Sorry, Professor. I’m not laughing at you. It’s merely- you are trying to use Legilimency, no? That’s why the headmaster wanted you to question me. I’m afraid you won’t get anything that way, sir. Mr. Nick taught me Occlumency last year.”

“And why,” Snape spat, “would a ten year old need to learn Occlumency?”

Harry gave a shrug. “He said it’s because I was Harry Potter, and I think I’m beginning to understand what he meant by that. Sir.”

Snape seemed to study Harry intently for several long minutes before letting out a deep sigh. He moved his wand in an intricate pattern before clasping his hands on his desk. “Alright, Potter. We’ll play by your rules.”

“I’m not playing anything, sir. I just don’t see why everyone is so interested in who I’m living with.”

“Because you are Harry Potter, and there are people out there who wish you harm.”

“No offense, sir, but there are people in  _ here  _ who wish me harm.” Harry saw Snape’s jaw clench for a fraction. “And Nick and Nelly have only always wanted what was best for me, and they’ve never even tried to touch my vaults, which your Headmaster Dumbledore can’t say.”

Snape gave a small jerk and narrowed his eyes at Harry. “What. Do. You. Mean?” he asked in measured tones.

“I saw a statement from Gringotts regarding my account last year. It showed every single time someone attempted to access my vaults. Albus Dumbledore’s name popped up quite a bit. So if you are here on his behalf, I think I’d like to leave now.” Harry made to stand up but Snape’s words stopped him.

“Pot- Harry, wait.” Harry paused and looked at the man. Something in his dark eyes had Harry sitting back down. “Professor McGonagall came to me after you mentioned the wards to her, and I visited your relatives’. You were correct. The wards were up no more than six months after Albus placed you in that home. I also had a little visit with your aunt, though she does not remember it, and confirmed what you had told us that night you caught the troll.”

“And none of it matters to Dumbledore, am I right?” Harry scoffed, crossing his arms.

“I did not tell the headmaster.” Snape let out another sigh and ran a hand over his face. “I had not thought… This wasn’t something I had ever thought to reveal. I went to school with your parents, Potter. Anyone could tell you that if you asked. They would also tell you the rivalry between your father and I was legendary.”

“That’s why you didn’t like me,” Harry said, understanding.

Snape didn’t deny it. “Yes. I expected you to be spoiled, arrogant, coddled. Just like him. What people will not be able to tell you was that I was very good friends with your mother.” Harry gaped at the man. “She and I grew up mere blocks from each other. We used to play together on the playground. She was my very best friend for many years until we had a falling out.” Snape waved his hand as Harry opened his mouth to ask what happened. “I do not wish to rehash old wounds. Suffice it to say, she was the reason I followed up on Professor McGonagall’s concerns and she is the reason I myself am concerned with you now.”

“Oh,” Harry said, unsure what to say in the face of Snape’s revelation. “Um, well, Mr. Nick and Ms. Nelly are really good to me. They’ve been teaching me all about magic, and we go to France a lot. I can almost speak fluent French. They even took me to the cinema for the first time when I was eight. My aunt and uncle barely let me out of the house, they were so ashamed of me. They called me a freak and told me I wasn’t worth anything and my parents were probably glad they had died so they didn’t have to see what a disappointment I was. They told me my parents died in a drunk driving accident and it was my dad’s fault.” Harry focused on his hands and he picked at his cuticles. Nelly hated when he did that. “Ms. Nelly found me after my cousin and some of his friends beat me up. That’s when they took me in and taught me about magic. They only want what’s best for me,” Harry repeated finally looking up at Snape.

Snape gave a grave nod. “I see that now. Thank you, Harry. I will tell the headmaster I was unable to get anything out of you. You may leave.”

“Thank you, sir,” Harry said, getting up from his chair and heading to the office door. He paused with his hand on the knob. “Professor.” Snape looked up from whatever he had been writing on. “You don’t have to worry about the Philosopher’s Stone. Whatever Dumbledore has hidden, it’s not that.” Harry turned and left the professor’s office, leaving the man gaping after him.

 

“Harry.” Harry looked up from his Charms book and smiled as Nick approached him, a letter in his hand. Harry set his quill down and stretched.

“What’s up, dad?”

Nick held the parchment up. “I just got a letter from Professor Snape.”

Harry’s eyes widened in surprise. “You did?”

“Yes, but,” Nick gave the letter a curious look, “the strange thing is he doesn’t seem to realize you are my ward.” Nick moved to sit on the edge of the couch in the middle of the library. “He mentions Albus had attempted to pass off an enchanted ruby as my stone, but a student had discovered the duplicity and brought it to Professor Snape’s attention. He merely wished to inform me that I should be careful of my future association with Albus Dumbledore. Harry,” Nick turned his attention back to Harry, “did you not tell anyone I was your guardian?”

Harry gave a small shrug. “It’s none of their business. They didn’t care enough to check up on me before I went to Hogwarts so they don’t deserve to know anything now. If it hadn’t been for you and mum, I’d probably still be living with the Dursleys, and there’s no telling if they would have even allowed me to go to Hogwarts.”

Nick let out a sigh and stood up. He crossed around the desk and wrapped an arm around Harry’s shoulder, bringing him in for a tight hug. “And I thank Merlin everyday we did. You have been a blessing to Nelly and I, Harry. I hope you know that. Now,” Nick said pulling back. “How are you coming on your homework?”

“I’m almost done. I’m working on Charms and I’m going to do my Astronomy tomorrow. I’m saving potions for last.”

“Good,” Nick said with a nod. “I meant what I said, Harry. No Parselmagic books until  _ all _ your schoolwork is done.”

“Yes, sir,” Harry sighed.

“And when will Mr. Longbottom be coming over?”

“The last week of July,” Harry answered, taking the quill from his book and pulling his essay closer. “Just in time for my birthday. And mum promised we could meet Hermione and her parents at the Leaky on the twenty-ninth. It’s so cool that Neville and I get to have our birthdays together.” Nick chuckled and headed towards the door. “Papa.” Nick paused and turned back towards Harry who was giving him a shy smile. “Thanks for making me go to Hogwarts.”

Nick chuckled. “You’re welcome, Harry. Now, back to work.”

“Yes, sir.”


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Once again, thanks for all the great comments. They really keep me motivated :)  
> Now for Harry and his Basilisk... enjoy.

The warm days on Fire Island flew by. Harry finished his schoolwork and quickly began reading through the Parselmagic books. He realized right away the magic was much more advanced than he was capable of, but, though he would have to wait at least another year to try it, he could still read up on it. He spent the mornings going around the island with Nelly to feed and see to the magical creatures and the afternoons helping Nick around the lab or reading. Evenings were once again devoted to spending time together as a family. The beginning of July found them once again in France at the Flamel’s seaside villa, and Harry thought next year he wouldn’t mind bringing Neville. He thought it would be fantastic to build sandcastles and play in the ocean with his friend. They returned a week before Harry’s birthday and spent the following day unpacking and seeing to the chores that had lain in wait. The next day brought Harry’s letter to Hogwarts with his school book list and he couldn’t wait for Neville to get here so they could go do their shopping together.

“What’s that, dear?”

Harry looked up at Nelly’s words and looked over to see Nick reading a letter, a slight frown on his face. Nick glanced up. “A letter addressed to the guardians of Harry Potter.” Harry gave a jerk of surprise.

“What does it say?” Nelly asked, setting her missive aside.

“ _Mr. Nick and Ms. Nelly, I apologize for the informal salutation but Mr. Potter only ever referred to you as thus. Firstly, allow me to introduce myself. I am Professor Severus Snape, Mr. Potter’s potions professor at Hogwarts. I do not know if he told you anything of myself or our interactions over the previous year, but I was a student at Hogwarts at the same time as Mr. Potter’s parents. While James Potter and I did not necessarily get along, I was quite close to Lily as we were childhood friends. The reason I am divulging this information to you is to let you know that I will be watching over Mr. Potter in the coming year and assure you of his continued well being. I understand Mr. Potter has very little respect for our headmaster and also feels the need to be cautious around most of the adults in the wizarding world. I imagine he must feel relatively abandoned by us after the years with his abusive relatives and the only excuse I can give is that Albus Dumbledore assured us constantly that Harry was well taken care of. I wish to reassure you that I will personally see to the safety of Mr. Potter, not only as per my duty as a professor in this school, but as a friend of his dearly departed mother. If you ever have any concerns regarding Mr. Potter please feel free to contact me as I will likewise contact you if I feel Mr. Potter’s health and safety are at risk. On behalf of Lily Evans Potter, thank you for taking young Harry out of the situation with his relatives and taking care of him. I can see he is shaping up to be just as bright as his mother and not nearly as reckless as his father. Sincerely, S. Snape.”_

Nick looked up from the letter. “Well, Harry, it looks like there’s someone else you might be able to trust.”

Harry blinked in astonishment. “Er, yeah. I guess so.”

Nelly reached over and patted Harry’s hand. “It sounds like you can really trust this professor, Harry.” She looked up at Nick. “Perhaps I should write the professor back. Though, I don’t think I’ll reveal who exactly we are just yet,” she added with a wink at Harry. Harry chuckled and went back to looking over his own letter.

Neville arrived via Floo the next morning with a formidable-looking woman. She ran down a list of rules Neville was supposed to follow to which the chubby boy nodded obediently. As soon as she was gone Harry pulled Neville upstairs to his room to drop off his things. Nelly greeted them warmly as they entered the greenhouse, and Harry was happy to see his best friend getting along with the woman he thought of as his mother. They stayed in the greenhouse until dinner time, and Nelly forced them inside to wash up. Harry woke Neville up early the next morning, and they helped Nelly make waffles and bacon for breakfast. Harry was glad to see his friend finally starting to relax now that he was away from his grandmother. After breakfast Nelly sent them upstairs to get changed into muggle wear before they headed to Diagon Alley.

They spent the morning gathering their school supplies while they waited until time to meet Hermione and her parents. Harry and Nick eagerly made their way through Slug and Jiggers as they picked out what Harry and Neville needed and a few things Nick was running low on. They spent way too long in the book store but no one complained. It was finally time to meet Hermione and her parents so the four headed to the Leaky.

Hermione eagerly greeted them and introduced her parents who seemed polite and excited to meet more wizards. Harry and Neville listened as Hermione talked about her summer while her parents visited with Nick and Nelly over lunch. After lunch, Nick Apparated to Fire Island with all their things and returned a few minutes later. Once they said goodbye to Hermione’s parents the small group headed into muggle London. Neville was excited when he realized they were going to the muggle cinema as he had never been. Once they agreed on a movie Nick and Nelly got everyone snacks and the group made their way into the theatre. Harry and Hermione debated on the best place to sit before they finally settled down. Neville thoroughly enjoyed the experience and afterwards they went for pizza at a nearby pizza parlor.

That evening Nelly showed Hermione to a room down the hall from Harry’s and the three Gryffindors quickly passed out from exhaustion. The next morning Harry showed them around the island, pointing out the areas he couldn’t take them due to the nature of the creatures living there. They picnicked by the hidden lake and went for a swim afterwards. That evening, Neville’s grandmother returned for his birthday dinner which was followed by presents and a delicious cake made by one of the rarely seen house elves.

Once Neville’s grandmother left, Harry and the others went to change into comfortable sleeping clothes and grabbed a few necessities. Nick led them down the cavern to the secluded beach and helped them set up a tent and small fire pit for the campout Harry had requested for his birthday. Nelly set them up with hotdogs and the makings for s’mores before she climbed into the other tent with Nick, leaving the kids mostly on their own. It was the one thing Nick had been adamant on, that he and Nelly at least be present on the beach in case anything happened, but they had promised to let the kids do their own thing.

They spent nearly two hours playing in the water after changing into swimsuits, building sandcastles. Harry caught Nick and Nelly watching them from lounge chairs and he waved cheerfully at them. Several tiny sand-made soldiers appeared between the castles with a flick from Nick’s wand, and the three friends watched in delight at the miniature war that ensued, Hermione clapping enthusiastically when a soldier appeared from inside one of the castles carrying his maiden. Nick saluted Harry with his drink, and he went back to playing with his friends. As the sun began to set, the trio headed back towards the fire and warmed up some hotdogs with sticks Nick had transfigured for them. Harry told them about their weeks in France and some of the rituals he had read about in the Parselbooks which led them to talking about the upcoming year. They were in the middle of roasting marshmallows when Harry told them about the letter from Professor Snape. The conversation led to speculating on Snape’s relationship with Harry’s mum and dad.

“He said they were childhood friends,” Harry said, pulling a graham cracker from the bag and passing it to Neville. “That they grew up in the same neighborhood.”

“Do you suppose he was in love with her?” Hermione said dreamily, and Harry gave her a horrified look.

“Ugh! Snape as my dad,” Harry said in horror. “That’s just wrong.” Neville chuckled, and Harry shoved him gently. “He said they had a falling out but he wouldn’t say why.”

“Probably because he was Slytherin,” Neville said, and Harry and Hermione looked over at him curiously. He wiped a string of marshmallow off his chin. "Well, your dad was Gryffindor so you’re mum probably was too. Slytherins and Gryffindors have never gotten along.”

“So you think Snape and my mum stopped being friends because of what houses they were in?” Harry asked incredulously. Neville shrugged, reaching for another biscuit.

“Who knows. But it sounds like he’s willing to look after you and make sure Dumbledore doesn’t try anymore of his stupid tricks.”

“They must have been really good friends,” Hermione said. They went silent for a few minutes, each lost in their own thoughts until Hermione spoke again, her voice soft. “Hey, Harry.”

Harry glanced over at his friend. “Hmm?”

“Do you ever miss your parents?”

Harry shrugged and stared out across the ocean. “I don’t know. It’s hard to miss someone you don’t know. I mean, before I met Nick and Nelly I missed the idea of having parents. I always wondered what it would be like to have them around. Would they love me? Would they think I was a freak too? Of course I didn’t know about them having magic or being a wizard then. Sometimes, when I was still a muggle, I used to think anything would be better than not knowing them. Even if they were in jail or a coma or something. Some small hope that eventually they’d come back to me.”

“It’s not always better,” Neville said softly causing Harry and Hermione to turn to him. He had that same look on his face from the night they’d discovered the Mirror of Erised, and, not for the first time, Harry wondered about Neville’s own parents.

“Neville,” Hermione said, moving to place an arm across his shoulder. “Where are your parents?”

“St. Mungo’s.”

“The magical hospital?” Harry asked, confused and Neville nodded.

“They were Aurors,” he said softly, “during the war. When You Know Who disappeared some Death Eaters came after them. They were…” Neville paused, and Harry moved closer to put a comforting hand on Neville’s knee. “The Death Eaters used Crucio until my parents lost their minds. They’re alive, but they don’t know who I am, and I’ll never know them. Sometimes,” Neville’s voice broke and the last part came out in a whisper. “Sometimes, I wish they _were_ dead so I wouldn’t have to see them like that.”

“Oh, Nev,” Hermione said, pulling their friend into a hug. Harry joined in and the three friends held each other for several minutes. Harry finally pulled back, his mind whirling with thoughts of how to lighten the mood, knowing Neville wasn’t fond of overly sentimental moments.

“So what do you suppose Dumbledore has in plan for us this year? Giants. Acromantulas.”

“Dragons,” Neville cried out, pulling from Hermione. They spent the next several minutes naming outrageous creatures before they tumbled back laughing. Hermione rolled her eyes and stated it was bedtime. They grumbled but allowed her to push them into the tent. It was much later, after much talking and giggling that the trio finally fell asleep snuggled in their sleeping bags.

Harry’s birthday was celebrated with a trip to a carnival where the trio filled up on candy floss, fresh squeezed lemonade, and fried turkey legs. Harry was fairly certain the large teddy bears Hermione and Nelly wound up with hadn’t exactly been gotten fairly, but no one said anything. Nelly made them rest in the library when they returned to the island, so the trio read through their new school books while they waited for dinner. As the night before, dinner was followed by cake and presents before the kids were sent up to bed. Hermione joined the boys in Harry’s room where they spent most of the night talking excitedly about the upcoming year. Hermione returned home the following day and Neville a few days later.

“Dad.” Nick looked up from the book on his desk and smiled at Harry.

“Hey, Harry. I thought you were reading your Parselbooks.”

“I was but,” Harry hesitated and Nick looked at him with concern before placing a ribbon in the book to mark his spot and closing it.

“What’s wrong, Harry?” Nick got up and moved over to the couch, motioning for Harry to join him. Harry settled on the couch beside Nick.

“Do you know what happened to Neville’s parents?” Harry asked, staring down at his hands.

“No. Nelly and I were living in Canada during Voldemort’s reign. We thought it would be safest.”

Harry nodded in understanding. “They were Crucioed into insanity.” Nick gave a small gasp.

“Oh, that poor boy.”

Harry turned to look up at him, his green eyes pleading. “Papa, can you fix them?”

“Oh, Harry! I-” Nick closed his mouth, his jaw working as he tried to avoid saying the words that would upset Harry. Harry sighed.

“It was just a thought,” Harry said sadly. “I just thought, if anyone could do it you could. But I suppose if there’s no cure by now-”

“Harry,” Nick cut him off, “there’s no cure because no one has really tried to find one. But I’ll try, for you, Harry.” Harry looked gleefully at his dad.

“Really?”

“Don’t say anything, Harry, especially to Neville, as I have never attempted something like this, and I don’t want to get his hopes up.”

Harry threw his arms around his father. “You can do it, dad. I know you can.”

Nick made a strangled sound and hugged Harry tightly.

 

Harry didn’t care for the new Defense teacher as the man seemed quite full of himself, but at least Snape wasn’t so horrid in potions. Harry was excited to learn they were handling mandrakes in Herbology, and he hummed softly to the young plants as he re-potted his own. He was not happy to learn that Malfoy had bought his way onto the Slytherin quidditch team. When the blond called Hermione a horrid name Harry glared at the poncy prat and muttered a curse. When nothing happened, Malfoy simply laughed at Harry and called him an incompetent wizard. Harry merely smirked at the boy and led Hermione and Neville from the pitch. Some time during the night Malfoy was ushered to the infirmary as he was unable to stop vomiting. The Weasley twins gave Harry knowing winks, and Harry simply told them he had no idea what they were talking about. Hermione gave Harry a tight hug and went back to her lunch.

On Halloween, Nearly Headless Nick invited Harry and the others to his Death Day party where they got to witness the Headless Hunt and met a whiney ghost named Myrtle. On the way to the Great Hall, Harry heard a soft whispering but Neville and Hermione assured him they couldn’t hear it.

“What do you suppose it is?” Neville asked.

“I don’t know,” Harry answered. “But it was coming from this way.” He pointed up the stairs and began heading that way. Neville quickly followed but Hermione let out a sigh.

“Okay, but if this is another troll, you’re going to have to find a new friend.” Harry chuckled as they followed the faint voice. They rounded a corner on the second floor and came to a halt at the sight of Mrs. Norris hanging from a candle bracket and not moving. Hermione let out a sharp cry and took a step back.

“I think we should go get a professor.” Harry nodded in agreement and turned with the others but froze at the sight of Malfoy leading a group of students down the corridor. His grey eyes went wide as they darted from Harry to Mrs. Norris.

“What did you do, Potter?” Malfoy’s eyes darted to the wall across from where the cat hung. “ _Enemies of the heir, beware!_ ” he read then turned to glare at Hermione. “You’ll be next, mudblood,” he hissed out causing several students to start murmuring.

“What is going on here?” McGonagall’s voice came from down the corridor. She pushed her way through the crowd of students and reared back at the sight of the cat. Just then Filch appeared and began throwing out accusations at Harry. Harry gaped in surprise and tried to deny it but no one was listening to him.

“To your dorms,” a stern voice echoed down the halls, and Harry thought he had never been so happy to hear Snape’s voice.

“Yes, yes, children,” came another voice and Harry recognized the headmaster walking beside Snape. “Move along. Nothing to see here.”

“It was Potter,” Malfoy cried as they were ushered away.

Harry and the others were soon ushered into a nearby classroom along with Filch, McGonagall, Snape, and the headmaster. Hermione kept a warning hand on Harry’s arm as he glared at the headmaster.

“See what that boy done, headmaster. He’s never liked me cat,” Filch exclaimed.

“No one likes your cat,” Harry cried out indignantly.

“Not now, Potter,” Snape snapped out.

“See,” Filch wailed. “He’s done kilt my dear Mrs. Norris.”

“There there, Argus,” Dumbledore soothed the man. “Mrs. Norris isn’t dead.”

“She isn’t?” Filch said, his wailing immediately coming to a halt.

“Of course not,” Dumbledore assured him. “She’s merely petrified. I believe Pomona has some mandrakes growing. Once they are mature we can make a restorative drought. Mrs. Norris should be right as rain by May.”

“And what about Potter?” Filch demanded. “The boy should be punished.”

“Nonsense,” Dumbledore said with a benevolent smile at Harry. “Powerful magic like this is much too advanced for Harry.”

Harry wanted to deny that, tell the man that, in fact, he knew of a potion that would have just that effect and had brewed it on more than one occasion when Ms. Nelly needed to access the firecrabs’ home. He wisely kept his mouth shut.

“I do wonder,” Dumbledore added with a look at Harry, “why you three weren’t at the feast, though.”

“We were at Sir Nicholas’s Death Day party, sir,” Hermione answered eagerly. “It was quite amazing.”

“Oh yes,” Neville cut in. “We saw the Headless Hunt and met Myrtle and lots of other ghosts.”

Harry nodded. “It was quite interesting. Well, except for the food. That was kinda gross.”

“I see,” Dumbledore said. “A unique opportunity no doubt. Well, back to your common room with you.”

“Professor Snape,” Harry said getting the man’s attention. Snape turned to Harry.

“Yes, Potter.”

“I’d hate for Mr. Filch to have to wait all those months to get his pet back,” Harry said contritely but he could tell by the look in Snape’s eyes the man wasn’t buying it. “My guardian has a greenhouse and keeps mature mandrakes on hand. Perhaps if I wrote her-”

“What a generous offer,” Dumbledore cut him off. “If you will give me your guardians’ direction I will write them immediately.”

“Well, Ms. Nelly doesn’t hand out her plants to just anyone, Headmaster,” Harry said smugly.

“I am already in contact with Mr. Potter’s guardians, Albus. I will write to Ms. Nelly and request the Mandrake root.”

Harry watched in satisfaction as Dumbledore’s jaw clenched in irritation before he smiled gratefully at Snape. “Very good, Severus. I am sure Argus will appreciate that.” He gave a nod at the small group. “Good night,” he said before leaving the room.

McGonagall ushered the trio from the room and up to their dorm where she once again provided a small meal for them.

Hermione got the story of Salazar and his secret chamber out of Professor Binns though the ghost insisted it was merely an old fairy tale. Harry thought all fairy tales were probably based on some grain of truth. He wrote to Nick to see if the man knew anything about it. Nick’s response was a book on the history of Salzar written in Parseltongue, which Harry read out to his friends. Near the end of November Mrs. Norris was once again roaming the halls with Filch causing many students to grumble. Then the news came out that Lockhart would be hosting a dueling club. Despite Harry’s dislike for the professor they signed up for the club anyway. They were surprised to see Snape up on the platform with Lockhart. Harry wasn’t surprised to see Snape humiliate Lockhart with a simple disarming spell, and he chuckled behind his hand. When he was paired up with Malfoy the Slytherin gave a small smirk and several spells later Malfoy called out a “serpensortia” and a large black snake flew from his wand. Several students cried out and Lockhart tried to banish the snake but only succeeded in making it angrier.

“Stand back,” Snape ordered but Hermione cried out.

“Wait. Professor, let Harry calm him down.” Snape gave Hermione an odd look but she continued quickly. “He can speak Parseltongue.”

“What?”

“Impossible,” Malfoy cried out.

“Actually, it’s not,” Harry said, cautiously moving forward. “It’s quite easy to learn once you get the basics down.” Harry held a hand out to the angry snake. “ _Calm down_ ,” he hissed, clearly hearing the sibilant undertones of his words. “ _The idiot didn’t know what he was doing._ ” The snake turned on him and flicked its tongue. “ _No one wants to hurt you. If you will let Professor Snape approach he will send you back._ ” Harry motioned towards Snape and the snake hissed at the potions master. Harry turned to face Snape. “Approach slowly, sir. He’s willing to let you send him away.”

Snape nodded and took a cautious step towards the snake. When it watched him warily but made no move to strike, Snape slowly approached and quickly cast the spell to banish the snake. He stepped back and gave a nod to Harry.

“Thank you, Mr. Potter, for your aid in this matter.” Snape turned to Malfoy, his dark eyes narrowing. “Mr. Malfoy, detention for endangering another student. See me after dinner.” Snape turned back to the rest of the students. “Back to it. Potter, you may pair up with Wood,” Snape called over his shoulder as he walked away.

The rest of the dueling club went smoothly, though several students kept glancing at him. Later, as they made their way back to Gryffindor tower, several of his housemates questioned him about his Parsel ability. Harry brushed it off, saying his magical guardian had learned the language when he’d spent several years in India and he enjoyed sharing his knowledge with Harry. Harry let them infer what they wanted from that statement and went to write Nick about the upcoming Slytherin/Gryffindor quidditch match, his first face-off against Malfoy.

Just before Christmas, on the way from Herbology, Harry, Hermione, and Neville ran into the groundskeeper, his arms full of clucking roosters.

“Um, Mr. Hagrid,” Hermione asked carefully, “why have you got all those roosters?”

“Movin’ the little tykes inside. Not safe out here for the roosters. Most of ‘em been kilt off. Gotta keep the rest of these fellows safe.”

“Any idea what it is?” Neville asked as he reached up to pet a crowing rooster.

“Not yet,” Hagrid answered. “But I’d best get them inside.”

“Good luck,” the trio called after the man and headed inside. Hermione gasped as they rounded the corner and Harry groaned at the sight of Justin Finch-Fletchley and Nearly Headless Nick both petrified. “Not again,” Harry moaned.

“What could be doing this to them?” Neville asked.

“I don’t know,” Hermione said, a tremor in her voice. “But I say we go get a professor and get away from here before-”

“Mr. Potter,” the three students turned at the sound of Professor Sprout’s voice.

“Professor!” Hermione cried. “We were just coming to get you, or someone.”

“We found him like this when we came in,” Neville said as the Herbology professor rounded her student in shock. “Should I go get the headmaster?”

“Yes, yes,” Sprout waved him off and Neville ran off to inform the headmaster of the latest incident.

“Do you suppose the chamber really has been opened?” Hermione hissed at Harry.

Harry shrugged. “I don’t know, but I sure would like to know what can petrify someone like this. Well, I mean there’s a potion for animals, and there’s a spell for people, but a ghost.” Harry studied the petrified ghost. “It's unheard of. I wonder if Nick’s heard of something like this. I’ll ask him over the holidays.”

“Oh my,” Harry turned at the sound of the headmaster’s voice and bit back his retort. “I suppose we should get them to the infirmary and inform Severus he will need to brew another draught. Come along, Pomona. You take Mr. Finch-Fletchley, and I will grab Sir Nicholas. Thank you, Mr. Longbottom, for informing me. The three of you may return to your dorms.”

Several days later Harry and the others were studying in the library when a group of Hufflepuffs approached them.

“Potter.” Harry looked up to see Ernie Macmillan glaring at him. “I think Malfoy might be onto something.”

Harry furrowed his brows at the boy. “What are you on about, Macmillan?”

“The Chamber of Secrets. Malfoy says the last time it was opened a girl was killed and now whatever was down there has attacked Justin, a muggle born.”

Harry rolled his eyes. “Um, hello, one of my best friends is a muggle born,” he said indicating Hermione.

Justin snorted. “Everyone knows Slytherin kept snakes, and you speak Parseltongue.”

“And did Justin have any bites on his body?” Harry asked doubtfully. “Besides, there aren’t any snakes that can petrify. A-” Harry’s words cut off and he turned wide-eyes at Hermione.

“What?” Neville asked nervously.

Harry began closing his books and gathering his things. “Come on. We’ve got to go see Professor Snape.”

Hermione and Neville didn’t hesitate at Harry’s command and began gathering their things as well. Soon the trio were heading out of the library and down to the dungeons. Harry knocked excitedly on Professor Snape’s office door and bounced from foot to foot as he waited for it to be pulled open. He jerked back in surprise when the door was pulled open by a tall man with long blond hair that looked oddly like Malfoy. The man stared down at them, his grey eyes going to the scar on Harry’s forehead.

“Mr. Potter.” Harry and the others swung around to see Snape coming from the opposite direction. His eyes flicked to the man at his office door. “You and your minions are late for detention. I believe I told you my classroom, not my office. Get there now.”

Realization dawned on Harry that this man was most likely dangerous to him, and he gave a quick nod before either of the others could say anything. “Y-yes, sir.”

He pushed Neville and Hermione towards the potions classroom as Snape glared at them. “Sit down and touch nothing,” he snapped. “I will be there momentarily.”

Harry and the others rushed to the classroom and closed the door behind them. “Harry?” Hermione questioned as soon as the door was closed.

“I think that was Malfoy’s dad, and I don’t think it would have been a good idea to be alone with him.”

Neville nodded. “Lucius Malfoy. He testified he was under Imperius during You Know Who’s reign, but there are a lot of people that doubt it,” he explained.

Harry paced back and forth while they waited for Snape, and he was grateful neither questioned him though he could tell Hermione was dying to ask him what he had figured out. There was a breath of relief when the door opened and Snape walked.

“I apologize, Mr. Potter. Mr. Malfoy is not exactly proper company for you. Now, would you care to explain what was so important that you would seek me out on your last Saturday before the holidays?”

“Can you do that…” Harry waved his hands, “privacy thing?”

Snape’s brows went up but he pulled his wand and Harry felt the rush of magic. “It is done, Mr. Potter. Now what is this about?”

“I know what’s in the Chamber.”

“Mr. Potter, the Chamber of Secrets is nothing more than some wild-”

“No it’s not,” Harry interrupted. “Okay, well, the Chamber itself might be, but I doubt that. The fact is, I know what is attacking everything.”

“And what do you believe it is?”

“A basilisk,” Harry answered, pulling a gasp from Hermione and a squeak from Neville.

“There hasn’t been a basilisk spotted in over a hundred years,” Snape told him.

“Well, that’s not exactly true, but if it was that doesn’t mean there isn’t one. Look, Mr. Hagrid said something had been killing off the roosters, and roosters are a basilisk’s biggest threat. Then there’s the spiders.”

Snape furrowed his brow as he leaned back against his desk. “What about the spiders?”

“They’re leaving the castle.” Harry turned to Neville. “You remember. Seamus mentioned last month that he’d seen a line of spiders leaving the castle, and Weasley made the comment that was just fine with him.”

“Oh, yeah,” Neville agreed.

“What do spiders have to do with basilisks?” Hermione asked.

“Spiders fear Basilisks,” Snape answered, a thoughtful look on his face.

“Right,” Harry said. “And then there’s when we found Mrs. Norris. Remember, I said I thought I heard someone talking. What if I heard the Basilisk? It would make sense that you two wouldn’t have heard it, since only I can speak Parseltongue.”

“Alright, Mr. Potter. Assuming you are correct, how do we find this basilisk and take care of it?”

“I think it’s in Slytherin’s chamber. Mr. Nick sent me a biography of Salazar Slytherin and it mentions in there how he enjoyed secret passages and such. He even had his ancestral castle reconstructed to include a number of secret passages and rooms, so why wouldn’t he do the same here?”

“And where might such a chamber be?” Snape said thoughtfully.

“Oh, Harry!” Hermione exclaimed and they all turned to her. “Moaning Myrtle. She said she was killed in that bathroom on the second floor. And that’s where we first found Mrs. Norris. What if the chamber entrance is down there?”

Harry looked over at Snape to see him running the tip of his finger over his bottom lip as he looked intently at Hermione. “The question remains what do we do with it when we find it?”

“Ms. Nelly would probably take it,” Harry spoke up pulling Snape’s attention to him. “She already has one, I’m sure it wouldn’t mind a friend. I can get Mr. Nick to brew the eye protection potion he uses when Ms. Nelly has to go check on Serena. It takes about a week, so he can do it while I’m home for Christmas and we could go down together. I’m sure it will talk to me once it knows I mean it no harm.”

“How much experience do you have with basilisks, Mr. Potter?” Snape asked skeptically.

“Well, I’ve only been to visit Serena twice, but she and I got along rather well.”

Snape let out a deep breath. “Rest assured that I will be writing to your guardian about this little adventure before you return to school, and if I find out you went down to the chamber without me it will be detention the rest of the year.”

Harry smiled brightly at the man. “Yes, sir.”

“I assume you do not want the headmaster to know about this at this time.”

“Please,” Harry said. “He might inform the ministry and they might kill it. I don’t think it’s the basilisk’s fault these things are happening.”

Harry could have sworn Snape almost rolled his eyes. “Bloody Gryffindor and your need to be fair. Fine. I will withhold the information unless I have no choice. Now go and let me enjoy the rest of my Saturday away from nosy students.”

“Thanks, Professor,” Harry said, smiling brightly as they practically ran from the room. Harry wasn’t planning on waiting until he got to Fire Island to tell Nick about the basilisk and went straight up to his room to write a letter.

 

There was extensive discussion regarding the basilisk when Harry returned home for the holidays. Harry begged and pleaded to be allowed to speak to the basilisk, and Nick eventually gave in, albeit reluctantly. The rest of the holiday was spent going over safety and Harry constantly reassuring his parents he would listen to Professor Snape and do what the man said. Harry was finally sent back to school with a large vial of the potion that would protect them from the basilisk’s gaze which he immediately handed over to the professor upon his return along with a portkey to transport the basilisk.

Snape made them wait until the following Saturday before he escorted the trio to the girl’s bathroom on the second floor. Once inside they split up and began looking for something that might mark an entrance.

“Over here,” Neville said where he was bent over a sink. The group rushed over and Harry bent to see a small etching of a snake.

“Well, I suppose that’s as close to a sign as we’re going to get,” Harry said. “How do you suppose we open it?”

Snape ran his finger over the etching, pressing and attempting to pull on it. “Try telling it to open,” he said with a glance at Harry.

“Um, okay,” Harry said, kneeling down and studying the etching. “ _Open_ ,” Harry hissed at the snake and jumped back at the strange groaning now coming from the sink. Harry watched in amazement as the sink sunk into the ground and opened up to reveal a tunnel that led down.

“Wow,” Neville hissed.

Snape turned to Neville and Hermione. “You will stay in this bathroom. I have already informed Filch the three of you are in detention with me today and are cleaning this bathroom. I’ve locked the door so no one can enter. Do you know what a Patronus is?”

Hermione nodded vigorously. “Oh yes. It’s a very advanced spell and-”

“Excellent,” Snape cut her off. “My Patronus is the shape of a doe. If I send it to you, you will immediately follow the instructions it gives you. Do you understand?”

“Yes, sir,” Hermione and Neville intoned together. Snape gave a nod and stepped towards the tunnel.

“It looks like a slide,” he said. “I don’t think there’s any other way down.”

“How will we get back up?” Harry asked, looking up at Snape. The man gave a small smirk.

“Leave that to me, Potter.” Snape reached into his robe pocket and pulled out two vials filled with a familiar potion. He handed one to Harry and drank down the other. “This potion lasts an hour, if we are down there longer than that, I have more.” He drew his wand and turned to the tunnel. “Give me five minutes. If I haven’t sent a Patronus back up by then, you may come down.”

Harry gave a nod of understanding. “Yes, sir.”

A moment later Harry and the others watched as Snape disappeared down the tunnel. Harry looked up at Hermione’s squeeze on his arm. “This is so exciting. You’ll have to tell us all about it.”

Harry chuckled. “Alright. Will you two be okay up here?”

“Sure,” Neville answered. “We’ve got our Herbology homework to keep us busy.”

Harry smiled at his friends. “Alright.” He checked his watch and the three friends waited patiently for the allotted time to pass. Harry finally gave a sigh. “Okay. I guess it’s time.”

“Good luck, Harry,” Neville called as Harry lowered himself to the large pipe. With a hard shove he began to slide quickly down the pipe. He held tightly to his wand, his breath catching in his chest at the quick descent. After a few minutes Harry cast a Lumos to reveal the dingy sides of the pipe that flew past him. Harry wondered how far beneath the castle they were and if maybe he shouldn’t have waited just a little bit longer for Snape to send him a warning. His concerns were made null as he finally dropped out of the pipe and landed on a pile of small bones that were lit up by a bright blue light. Harry scrambled to his feet, a strong hand wrapping around his elbow to help him to his feet.

“Thank you, Professor,” Harry said as he brushed his knees off. He looked around at the dank chamber they were in and noticed the hovering ball of blue light so doused the tip of his wand.

“There’s a corridor this way,” Snape said, pointing ahead of them. “Stay behind me, wand at the ready. The light will follow me so stay close.”

“Yes, sir,” Harry said obediently and followed the man down the tunnel. Harry gasped as they passed a large pile of molted snake skin.

“It looks as if your theory of a basilisk might be correct, Mr. Potter,” Snape said, waving his wand at the skin. Harry watched it shrink down, and Snape pulled a small jar from his robe pocket. “Snake skin is very useful in many potions, and the more magical a snake the more potent the potion,” Snape said as he carefully transferred the skin to the jar and closed it. “And of course, there is no snake more magical than a basilisk. Let us continue, Mr. Potter.”

They continued on a bit further until they came to a wall with a large vault-like door decorated with intertwined snakes. “Your turn again I believe, Mr. Potter,” he said, moving to the side. Harry watched as the man pulled back the sleeve of his robe to check the time on an elegant, silver watch. He nodded at Harry to continue, and Harry moved towards the door.

“ _Open_ ,” Harry hissed out and they watched as the snakes began to move. The door gave an ominous click and Snape stepped forward.

“Stay behind me, Mr. Potter,” Snape whispered as he moved forward. They entered the large chamber and Snape let out a low whistle as they took in the tall pillars. An eerie, green glow suffused the room and Harry gripped his wand tightly. They slowly moved forward, one of Snape’s hands held cautiously in front of Harry as if ready to push him back.

“Conceited much?” Harry said as they neared the large statue of the Slytherin founder.

“He built an entire chamber for a _pet,_ Potter. What do you expect?” Snape said and Harry had to bite back a chuckle. “I don’t see the basilisk.”

Harry took a step forward, his chest connecting to Snape’s palm. “Do you suppose it’s in the statue?”

“Could be. I don’t see a way for it to leave though.”

“Maybe it’s like a cage and there’s a door or something. If I can get closer maybe I can talk to it.”

“Alright,” Snape agreed with a nod. “But stay by me.” Harry nodded and they moved closer.

“ _Hello_ ,” Harry hissed. “ _Anyone there_?” he asked as he moved closer to the statue. He was right up next to it when he finally got an answer.”

“ _Hello_.” Snape’s grabbed onto Harry’s arm, indicating the man had heard the hissing.

_“Hello. My name is Harry. What’s yours?”_

“ _I was called Harika by the greatest of the Hogwarts four.”_

Harry turned to Snape. “His name is Harika.”

“Figures,” Snape scoffed. “It’s Turkish for ‘great’.”

Harry nodded. “The biography said he spent several years in his youth among the Turks and was fascinated by them. It makes sense.” Harry turned back to the statue. “ _You were a friend to Slytherin?”_

_“He was my master long ago.”_

_“Yes. He’s been gone a long time. You must be lonely.”_

_“I have been visited many times over the years,”_ the snake hissed indignantly.

 _“How nice for you,”_ Harry answered. _“Who has visited you?”_

_“Slytherin’s heir came many years ago to let me out and more recently a young girl has come to let me roam.”_

Harry jerked his head to look at Snape. “He says a girl has been in here recently. She’s the one letting him out this time.” Before Snape could say anything, Harry turned back to the statue. _“Another Slytherin heir?”_

_“No. But she is being guided by the spirit of my master’s heir.”_

_“Have you seen her?”_ Harry asked anxiously.

_“Only the back of her. She is smart enough to turn from my gaze.”_

_“Is she telling you who to attack?”_ Harry asked, keeping his voice gentle.

 _“Those were accidents,”_ the basilisk said defensively. “ _I meant no harm. I tried to be careful this time. I have lived on rats for many years since the young girl was killed. I only wanted to get to the forest for a different meal. I was promised._ ”

“ _Yes_ ,” Harry agreed. “ _Serena grows tired of rats too._ ”

“ _Who is Serena_?” the snake asked curiously.

“ _Oh, she is my mum’s basilisk. Well, she lives on our island. Mum provides a nice warm cave for her and she allows mum to gather her moltings and occasionally some venom for potions_.”

“ _A cave_ ,” the basilisk said, now completely intrigued.

“ _Of course, Serena has to stay on her side of the island because we live on the other side and my mum has to take a special potion to protect her eyes when she goes to visit Serena._ ”

Harry listened to the basilisk’s heavy breathing for several long seconds and ignored Snape’s hissed “Potter.”

“ _I might be willing to donate a bit of venom for such an arrangement_.”

“ _Would you_ ?” Harry asked, filling his voice with eagerness. “ _I’m sure Serena would love a companion, and mum is also happy for more potion ingredients_.”

“ _You would take me to this island_?”

“ _Of course. But_ …” Harry hesitated. “ _I don’t know how to get you out._ ”

“ _You must make the great Slytherin speak_ ,” the basilisk told him.

“ _And you promise not to hurt me or my friend_?”

“ _I have no control over my eye, Speaker_.”

“ _We have taken the potion I told you about. But you must promise not to attack us any other way._ ”

“ _You have my word_.”

“ _Alright. Let me speak to my friend_.” Harry turned to Snape. “He’s willing to go with us to the island and promises not to hurt us.”

“And the girl that has been letting him out?” Snape asked firmly.

“Oh. He says she is being guided by the spirit of Slytherin’s heir.”

“And who is Slytherin’s heir?” Snape demanded.

“Whoever let him out last time. When Myrtle was killed. Which was an accident.”

“Impossible!” Snape snapped, and Harry opened his mouth to say that it truly had been an accident when Snape continued. “Hagrid was expelled for Myrtle’s murder. He had brought an acromantula to school.”

“No,” Harry said emphatically. “He said he had been living on rats since the young girl was killed, and Myrtle was the only one killed.” A thoughtful look crossed Snape’s face.

“It is my understanding Hagrid was convicted on the words of another student. Tom Riddle.”

Harry turned back to statue. “ _Harika, do you know a Tom Riddle_?”

“ _Tom was Slytherin’s heir. He is the one that leads the young girl now_.”

“ _Can you tell my anything about the girl_?” Harry asked hopefully.

“ _She is but a young child with hair of red and wears a red and gold ribbon_.”

Harry’s breath caught in his chest at the implications of Harika’s words. Snape must have sensed his distress because the man grabbed Harry’s arms and spun him around. “What is it, Potter?”

“Ginny,” Harry gasped out. “V-Voldemort.” Harry was gasping for breath and something was pressed to his lips.

“Drink this.” Harry did and immediately felt a calm wash over him. He straightened from the professor’s grasp.

“Thank you, sir. Um, I think Tom Riddle is Voldemort and somehow he’s possessing or controlling Ginny Weasley.”

“What?”

“Harika said Tom Riddle was Slytherin’s heir and Voldemort always claimed to be the heir of Slytherin. Mr. Nick told me all about him,” Harry explained. “What if for some reason he needed someone to blame Myrtle’s death on and pointed the finger at Hagrid.”

“They were going to close the school after the girl died,” Snape offered.

Harry nodded. “So Tom needed a scapegoat and Mr. Hagrid was easy canon fodder.”

“If that’s true, it sounds like we need to insist on a new trial for Hagrid.”

Harry nodded. “Can a ghost testify at their own murder trial? I mean I assume even Myrtle would be able to tell the difference between being bitten by a spider and being looked at to death.”

Snape gave a snort. “You have a unique way of looking at things, Mr. Potter. And, yes, Myrtle should be able to testify at her own trial.”

“So what are we going to do about Ginny, sir? She’s only eleven.”

“Allow Professor McGonagall and I to handle that, Mr. Potter. I think it would be best if Minerva and Poppy perhaps questioned her. They have a way with students.” He waved his hand at the statue. “Any idea how to get Harika out of there?”

Harry looked thoughtfully at the statue. “Maybe.” he said. “ _Speak to me, Slytherin_ ,” Harry said and waited. Nothing happened and Harry tried to think of the proper password. “Oh. _Speak to me Slytherin, greatest of the Hogwarts four._ ” Harry took a step back as the mouth of the statue began to open wide. “Conceited prat,” Harry murmured then drank down the vial of potion Snape handed him. He had no idea how long it had been since they took the first vial but conceded it was better to be safe than dead.

They stepped back and to the side as a low, slithering sound made its way towards them. Harry gaped as the large snake slid from the gaping mouth. He noticed Snape’s wand was held at the ready and gripped his own wand tightly. The basilisk landed on the floor of the chamber, his tail making a loud thump. He moved his head towards them.

“ _Which of you is Speaker_?”

“ _I am_ ,” Harry told him. “ _Is there another way out of the chamber other than through the school_?”

The basilisk moved his head towards the left of the chamber. “ _There is a tunnel that leads to the forest. But the heir refused to allow me out that way.”_

_“He probably didn’t want to risk you running off. Which you must promise not to do. If you do, then I cannot protect you, and people will be out to kill you. Stay with me and I will promise your safety.”_

The basilisk gave a nod. “ _I will do as you ask, Speaker.”_

 _“Then lead the way, Harika.”_ Harry motioned for the snake to lead the way. Harry turned to his professor. “He says there’s a way into the forest up here. Can we activate the portkey from there?”

“Most likely,” Snape answered. “Once we get to the spot, I’ll turn one of these empty vials into a portkey so we can return to the same spot.”

Harry nodded, and they continued to follow the giant snake for several miles at a smooth incline. Eventually they came to a stone door with more entwined snakes. Harry hissed at the door to open and a gust of fresh air rushed at them. Harry waited for Snape to cast the portus spell on an empty vial before pulling out the familiar stick Harry had handed over a few days earlier. Harry explained to the basilisk they were going to travel by magic and to not be frightened. All three passengers handled the trip well as they landed just outside Serena’s cave.

 _“Serena,”_ Harry called to the other basilisk. She appeared at the mouth of the cave less than a minute later. She was much younger than Harika, and it showed in her enthusiastic movements.

“ _Is this my new playmate, young one?”_ she asked excitedly as she slithered up to the larger snake.

 _“She is immature but she will do, Speaker. Thank you,”_ Harika hissed out, and Harry gave the snake a deep bow.

“ _I do hope you enjoy your new home. Serena will show you around. I must return to school now_.” He said his goodbyes to Serena and promised to visit during the summer. He turned to find his professor had moved to the edge of the nearby cliff and was looking down. “Sir?”

Snape turned at his voice. “You live here?”

Harry shrugged. “When we aren’t at the shop in London or the villa in France. Mum prefers to be here where her plants and creatures are.”

Snape pointed down to the beach below. “That is an entire colony of Fire crabs, Mr. Potter. How do your guardians keep poachers away?”

Harry shrugged. “I don’t know. I think the island is unplottable but I know the wards extend some out into the ocean.”

Snape gaped at Harry. “Who are your guardians?”

Harry felt his face heat up at Snape’s scrutiny. “J-just people who like their privacy. Er, shouldn’t we be getting back to the school?”

Snape let out a huff. “One of these days, Mr. Potter, I’m going to discover your secret,” Snape said, pulling the charmed vial from his pocket. Harry chuckled and reached out to grab it.

“Not today, sir.”

They made it back to the forest and Harry closed the door to the tunnel behind them. The trek back to the chamber and down the corridor to the pipe was done in mostly silence. Harry paused when they reached the pipe and turned to Snape.

“So how do we get back up?”

Snape smirked at him. “Time for one of my secrets, Mr. Potter.” Harry furrowed his brows, but before he could say anything, Snape reached out and pulled Harry close to him. “Hold on, Potter.”

Harry grabbed the man’s robes and held tight as they were suddenly lifted off the ground. Harry gasped out loud. “You can fly?”

Snape let out a deep chuckle, and Harry thought it sounded nice and soothing and wondered why the man didn’t do it more often. “Your mother and I invented the spell together.”

“Oh, wow,” Harry said, grateful for the small bit of information.

“She was very smart,” Snape said softly as they flew up the pipe. “We created several spells together. She was quite talented in charms.”

“Thank you,” Harry said softly, and they fell silent.

They emerged from the tunnel to see Neville and Hermione lying on the bathroom floor gaping at them as they emerged.

“You can fly?” Neville gasped as Snape settled Harry on the floor.

“Yes,” Snape replied. “And if you tell anyone, I’ll Obliviate you.”

“Can you do that?” Harry asked.

Snape turned to him and one eyebrow shot up. “If you are asking if I am capable of such advanced magic the answer is: yes. If you are asking if such advanced magic performed on a student by a professor is legal the answer is: highly doubtful.” He turned back to the others as Harry tried to bite back his giggle. “Did you get your Herbology work done?”

“Yes, sir,” Hermione answered.

“Good. Detention is over. Return to your dorms.” The three students eagerly headed towards the door. “Mr. Potter,” Harry turned back at Snape’s words, “Muffliato.”

Harry blinked at the man, repeating the word to himself silently before giving the man a nod. “Yes, sir. And, thank you.”

They rushed from the bathroom as soon as Snape released the lock on the door and made their way to Gryffindor tower. They found an empty corner in the common room, and Harry pulled his wand. “Muffliato,” he said and immediately felt the magic surround them. He smiled at his friends. “Wicked. Now no one can hear us.” And they spent the next few hours talking about Harry’s little adventure.

Things calmed down for the friends over the next few months. The Defense professor was still an arrogant prick, and then there was the whole Valentine’s incident where little dwarves ran around dressed up like cupids and hunting people down. Harry was glad to escape that little debacle. He did notice Ginny Weasley looked sickly for a few weeks, but he knew she was seeing Madam Pomfrey on a weekly basis. Harry assumed it was some sort of therapy and follow up to make sure there wouldn’t be any long-term effects from the possession or whatever it had been.

During May, Moaning Myrtle was going around the school crowing that she was finally going to be the center of attention, and Harry took that to mean she was going to get to testify at Hagrid’s trial. Harry hoped everything came out okay and Mr. Hagrid was vindicated. He caught Snape giving him odd looks occasionally, but the man never said anything; Harry thought if there was anything to it, he would write to Nick if Snape didn’t approach Harry. Hermione had them on a strict studying schedule, and the trio passed all their finals with flying colors. Even Neville was doing well in potions. The trio made plans to meet up over the summer and hugged their goodbye’s at the station.

Harry and Nelly were making their way towards the exit for King’s Cross when they were stopped by a tall, thin man with balding red hair. “Mr. Potter.” Harry and Nelly waited for the man to approach them. He smiled pleasantly when he approached them and held out his hand. “Arthur Weasley.”

Harry shook the man’s hand warily, remembering his wife from the year before. “Hello.”

“I have heard quite a bit about your excellent quidditch skills,” Mr. Weasley said. “The twins are quite the fan. I heard you got Gryffindor the cup for the second year in a row. Congratulations.”

“Er, thanks,” Harry said, wondering why this man had stopped him to talk about quidditch. A serious look fell across the man’s face and he leaned in slightly.

“I know you didn’t want anyone to know, but I have it on good authority that you were the one to bring my daughter’s plight to attention.” The man swallowed thickly. “I want to thank you. I don’t know what we would have done if anything had happened to her. I know you don’t get along with Ronald, but I wanted to let you know I appreciate it. Don’t worry, I haven’t told anyone it was you, not even my wife.”

Harry nodded. “Um, what was it, sir?”

“Oh,” the man said, jerking back slightly. “Er, it was a possessed journal that she had somehow gotten ahold of. The headmaster took care if, so it won’t be a problem again.”

Harry nodded. “Good. I’m glad Ginny is okay.”

Mr. Weasley nodded. “Thank you. Have a great summer, Harry. You earned it.”  Harry and Nelly watched the man go join his family, and Harry could see the matriarch begin to question him. Ron glared at Harry, but the twins waved happily at him. Harry shrugged and turned back to Nelly.

“Let’s go home. I’m hungry.” Nelly laughed and slipped an arm through Harry’s and led him off.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> AO3 messed up my spacing when I imported this chapter but hopefully I got them all fixed.


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Secrets come out and Harry learns the depths of Dumbledore's machinations. This one moves a little bit faster and I make no apologies for Harry's flirting. I really enjoyed writing this chapter and I hope you all enjoy reading it. Once again, thanks for all the lovely comments, they really keep my muse going. (Also, I updated some of the tags after reading through this chapter)

They went to France earlier that summer than the previous year, and when they returned to Nick’s London shop there was a large, black dog waiting for them. The black dog turned out to be an escaped convict by the name of Sirius Black─who turned out to be the accused murderer of Harry’s parents as well as his godfather. Nick kept the man at wand point as he explained his story, and Harry soon met a man by the name of Kingsley Shacklebolt. The arrest of one Peter Pettigrew who had been living in rat form with the Weasleys for the last twelve years held the headlines for the rest of the summer. The day before Neville was to arrive, Harry was introduced to a werewolf named Remus Lupin, who was another of his father’s friends. Lupin informed Harry he had been hired to be the new Defense professor in order to get closer to Harry and attempt to learn his secrets. After hearing about Dumbledore’s machinations Lupin swore not to pass any information along to the headmaster, and Sirius agreed to stay on Fire Island to help Nick and Nelly with the animals.

Neville and Hermione were excited to meet the two men and the boys once again celebrated their birthdays together. Nick happily signed Harry’s permission slip for Hogsmeade, showing him a spell that would cause anyone looking too close to only see an illegible signature, and the trio went off for their third year at school. Mr. Hagrid was announced as Professor Hagrid at the start of term feast, and Harry was glad he had taken Care of Magical Creatures. He quickly volunteered to be the first to approach the Hippogriff and was thrilled when Professor Hagrid offered to let him ride it. Nelly had spoken very highly of the creatures, but he’d never seen one first hand before. When it was the rest of the class’s turn Harry noticed immediately Malfoy was aiming to get himself trampled to death. He pushed the blond prat out of the way just as Buckbeak reared back, and the animal immediately pulled back its attack. Slytherin lost house points and Malfoy earned detention. The trio had taken Divinations for an easy grade, but after the professor had predicted Harry’s death for the third time he was seriously considering dropping the class. He had also opted to take Ancient Runes though it put a terrible time constraint on his schedule, but he wasn’t willing to overwork himself with a time turner like Hermione, who tried to hide the practically illegal artefact. 

Remus brought in a Boggart for one of their lessons, and when it turned into a Dementor in front of Harry the man held him after class. Harry told the man about coming across the creatures on a visit with the Flamels to Russia, and Remus offered to teach Harry the Patronus charm. Harry figured he had plenty of happy memories from his time with the Flamels, but it was hard to overcome the sound of his parents dying. During the holidays Remus stayed at the school since Snape was providing him with Wolfsbane, but Harry returned to Fire Island. Sirius informed Harry he had been given access to the Black vaults and properties, and it showed on Christmas morning. Harry and Nick oohed and awed over the Firebolt Sirius had gotten for Harry who couldn’t wait for the next game. After Christmas and Boxing Day the three adults sat Harry down to discuss his memory of his parents’ death and helped him grieve over their loss. 

Harry felt much better upon returning to school, so when Malfoy and some of his cohorts pretended to be Dementors during the Gryffindor/Ravenclaw game Harry sent out a perfect, corporeal Patronus. Remus informed him later the Patronus had been a stag, the same animal as his father’s animagus form. Harry thought that was amazing and shared the news with his friends. Near the end of the year they faced off against Hufflepuff on the pitch, and Harry couldn’t help but admire the way the Hufflepuff Seeker handled his broom. After Harry caught the snitch, the older boy clapped him on the shoulder and congratulated Harry on a good game, and Harry couldn’t help the blush that filled his cheeks. 

Neville’s grandmother was happy to let the boy stay with Harry and the Flamels over the summer, and the two boys shared a room at the villa in France. They spent many afternoons wandering the streets of the nearby town, and Harry finally worked up the nerve to ask Neville how the wizarding world felt about homosexuals. Harry was relieved when Neville informed him it was more normal for wizards to be openly gay than it was for muggles and same sex unions had been legal for wizards for centuries. After the conversation with Neville it seemed easier to tell his parents and godfather he was fairly certain he was gay. Sirius eyed Neville until the blushing boy vehemently denied any homosexuality, and Remus slapped the animagus on the back of the head. Later, Nick took Harry aside and told him he was happy he had accepted his sexuality and was even confident enough to let them know. 

For their birthday, the usual group took the boys to Italy and met up with Hermione and her parents. They spent the week visiting several ancient landmarks, both muggle and wizarding. Neville was gifted an ancient Italian plant Harry barely caught the name of when they visited a wizarding garden on his birthday. Harry teased the boy that no one would ever think him homosexual as he was most definitely  _ plant _ -sexual. Neville threw a tripping jinx at Harry that the adults ignored. Nelly presented a rainbow colored cake for his birthday explaining that rainbows were the muggle’s sign of homosexuality. Harry hugged her hard and wiped the tears from his eyes. There had been a time in his life he hadn’t been accepted as even human. Nick had presented Harry with tickets to the Quidditch World Finals, so they made plans to once again pick Hermione up the day before the game.

In the middle of August, only a few days before the Quidditch game, Harry woke up with his scar hurting and Neville standing over him.

“Harry. Harry, are you okay?”

Harry rubbed at his head and blinked. “I don’t know. I had this really weird dream. Voldemort’s spirit was searching for something.” Harry swallowed. “I think he was looking for someone else to possess.”

Neville sat down on the edge of Harry’s bed. “That’s a horrid nightmare.”

Harry looked over at Neville. “Nev, I don’t think it was a nightmare.”

Harry watched as Neville’s face paled. “D-do you think we ought to tell Mr. Nick?”

Harry nodded. “Yeah, I do.”

Neville nodded and stood from the bed so Harry could get up. Both boys pulled on robes and headed out of Harry’s room and down the hall. Nick and Nelly were still up when Harry found them in the library, Padfoot resting in front of the fire. Nick closed his book and sat up straighter. “Harry. Neville. What’s wrong?”

Harry moved over to sit on the couch next to Nelly and curled up against her. Padfoot stood from the rug and waddled over to place his head in Harry’s lap with a small whine. Harry stared into the fire as he spoke. “I think something’s wrong with me. Maybe something Voldemort did to me the night he killed my parents. I don’t know. I had a dream tonight. But it wasn’t a dream. I think I was seeing him, or something connected to him. He was some sort of spirit thing and he was looking for a host. I woke up and my scar was hurting and it’s not the first time it hurt. It used to hurt back in first year when I got too close to Professor Quirrell. What if he wants to possess me?”

Nelly ran her fingers through Harry’s wild hair and let out a sigh. At the same time Padfoot transformed and Sirius moved to sit on the couch beside Harry. He placed a hand on Harry’s knee. “Nick, I think it would be best if you explained it. You’ve been there from the beginning.”

Harry turned to look at Nick, his gaze darting to the other adults in the room. Nick closed his book and took a deep breath. “Back in your second year when Professor Snape was seeing to the incident regarding Ginny Weasley-” Nick shook his head. “No. Before that. When he wrote to me to tell me about Dumbledore’s duplicity regarding the stone we began corresponding on occasion. When they discovered the journal they realized it is what is called a Horcrux.” Harry felt Sirius stiffen beside him so knew that wasn’t anything good. “A Horcrux is an object that houses a part of a person’s soul. The only way to split your soul is by committing murder.”

Harry reared back in disgust. “Wait. You mean a part of Voldemort’s soul was possessing Ginny?”

“Yes,” Nick answered. “When that was revealed, Professor Snape wrote to me for information regarding the destruction of Horcruxes.”

“He wrote you?” Harry asked in horror.

“As Nicholas Flamel the Alchemist, Harry. Not as your guardian. He still does not know we are one and the same. During the course of our writing he brought up the question about putting a horcrux in a living thing.”

Harry slapped a hand over his forehead. “No!” Nelly and Sirius both wrapped Harry in their arms. “No. No. No. Not me. Get it out.”

“Shh,” Nelly whispered. “Hush, love. It’s okay.”

“No it’s not,” Harry cried. “It’s not.” He looked up from where he had somehow fallen to his knees and looked at Nick. “Please, Papa. Get it out.”

Nick pushed from the chair and dropped to the floor beside Harry, pulling him into a hug. “We’re working on it, love. I promise. We’re working on it. We’re so close.” Nick pushed Harry away so he could look in his eyes. “You were right not to trust Dumbledore. Severus thinks the man knew. When he confronted Dumbledore about the Horcruxes Dumbledore said the only way to get rid of the soul piece was to destroy the capsule completely.”

Harry gaped at Nick. “Dumbledore was going to kill me?”

“We aren’t sure if he was going to have you killed or somehow convince you to kill yourself,” Sirius said softly.

Harry gave a watery snort. “Most likely walk to my death while facing down Voldemort.” He turned to look up at Nick. “So, what now?”

“Well, Severus was able to force Dumbledore to admit where the other Horcruxes were.”

“He made more than one,” Harry cried out.

“Yes. We believe he made a total of six counting you. But we aren’t so sure he meant to make you. Remus was able to get the story out of Severus- though he already knew the majority of it from us- and he and Sirius have been helping to locate and destroy them. I have been researching how to help you and we only recently found a reference in an old journal from one of Severus’s ancestors. There is a goblin ritual but it can only be performed at a place of intense magical significance on an equinox. I am waiting to hear back from an old colleague I worked with many years ago, but I believe we will be able to perform the ritual on the vernal equinox, a time of rebirth, this year at Stonehenge.” Nick placed a soothing kiss on the top of Harry’s head. “I need you to keep on being my brave Gryffindor, Harry. I promise we’ll get rid of this.”

Harry nodded and slowly pulled back from Nick’s embrace. “Sorry,” he mumbled in embarrassment.

“Don’t be,” Nick said, patting Harry’s hand and moving to his feet. “Why don’t you and Neville head back to bed? I’ll bring you some dreamless sleep. Neville, do you need one?”

“No, thanks, Mr. Nick. Come on, Harry.” Neville moved to wrap an arm around Harry’s shoulders and walked him to their room. Padfoot followed behind and curled up on Harry’s bed. Harry took the vial Nick brought him and downed the potion before curling up under his covers. Padfoot snuggled up next to him, and Harry had never felt safer as he drifted off to sleep.

Hermione arrived the next day and Harry sat quietly on his bed while Neville explained what they had learned the night before. Hermione moved over to Harry and wrapped her arms around him.

“Oh, Harry. I’m so sorry. But at least Nick knows how to get rid of it, and you only have to live with it a bit longer.”

“But I still have to live with it,” Harry spat out.

“You listen to me, Harry James Potter, you’ve been living with this thing since you were fifteen months old.” She jabbed a finger at Harry’s forehead. “You haven’t let that scar define you, and you won’t let what’s in it define you either. You’re still you and that doesn’t change. No one’s going to like you any less, and you aren’t going to be any less you. Now, stop this self pitying: we have a world cup to get ready for.”

Harry let out a bark of laughter and threw his arms around Hermione. “You’re the best. I love you, Hermione.” Harry pulled back and gave her a sincere look. “In a totally platonic way. Still gay.”

Hermione and Neville laughed and the three friends came together in a tight hug.

“I love you too, Hermione,” Neville said as they pulled apart. “But only as friends. You are so not my type.”

Hermione laughed. “It’s okay, Nev. You aren’t my type either.”

“How do you know?” Harry said with a sly look. “You’re only fourteen. You could totally be each others type. I’m going to make it my mission to get you two married to each other.”

“Absolutely not!” Hermione cried as Neville hit Harry over the head with a pillow.

“Hey,” Harry said pressing a palm to his forehead. “Careful. I have an evil overlord up there.”

“Prat,” Neville said as they climbed from Harry’s bed. They made their way down to the library, and Harry could see the looks of concern of everyone’s faces. He gave them a reassuring smile.

“I’m alright. Promise.” He glanced over at Hermione. “It doesn’t change who I am, right? And we’re going to fix it. It’s like… one of those muggle tumor things, isn’t it? I just have to live with it a little longer until the operation.”

Nelly smiled brightly at him and crossed over to embrace him. “That’s right, Harry. We’ll get rid of this nasty tumor and it’ll all be over.”

“So, what happens to Voldemort once this is gone?” Harry asked as Nelly stepped back. “I mean, if Sirius, Remus, and Professor Snape have taken care of the other Horcruxes what then?”

“The last piece of his soul, the one you saw in your dream last night, will need to be destroyed as well,” Nick told him.

“How do you destroy a soul?” Hermione asked. Harry could see Nick hesitating, but Hermione spoke up once more. “We should know the spell in case Voldemort does come after Harry. Neville and I are always with Harry, and even if we aren’t strong enough to banish him completely at least we’ll be able to hold him off until someone stronger gets there.”

Nelly let out a chuckle. “She has you there, love.”

Nick sighed. “Fine. Grab your wands and we’ll go to the practice room. But you must swear to never reveal this to another person.”

All three students swore emphatically before rushing back to Harry’s room for their wands.

The small group took a portkey the next morning to the designated area for the cup final and Nick paid their way into the campground. Harry and Hermione laughed at some of the “muggle” clothes some of the wizards wore. Nick and Nelly set up the tent while Padfoot “escorted” the trio around the large campground. A group of teenagers approached and asked to pet the scruffy dog, their heavy French accent giving them away. Harry nodded and smiled.

“Oui, il aime l'attention*,” Harry told them and the girls squealed with delight as they bent to rub their hands over the dog’s fur. One of the boys asked Harry if he was French, and Harry replied no, but he spent a lot of time in France. The small group carried on a conversation, and Harry was happy to learn that both his friends could speak a passable amount of French. Eventually the two groups parted and Harry and the others continued on their way. They spotted Seamus decked out in green and even ran into the twin Weasleys. The two redheads informed the trio of their new business venture and the bet they had made with some bloke named Ludo Bagman. Harry didn’t realize where the twins were leading them until Fred shouted out.

“Charlie, come meet the greatest Seeker ever.”

Harry looked up to see a Weasley approaching, at least Harry assumed it was a Weasley due to the bright red hair that matched the rest of the family. He was shorter than Mr. Weasley and the twins with a stocky build. His hair was shoulder length and Harry could see his face was covered with freckles as the man moved closer. Harry was sure whatever the man did required an enormous amount of strength because the man’s arms were bulging.

“You’re drooling,” Hermione whispered, and Harry stuck his tongue out at her.

“Hey, Forge. Gred. What’s going on?” the man asked in a deep voice when he approached.

“Charlie, this is Harry Potter, Gryffindor’s amazing Seeker. Harry, this here’s our brother Charlie. He was Seeker before you.”

Charlie held his hand out and smiled brightly. “Hello, Harry. It’s nice to meet you. The twins wrote a lot about you.”

Harry took the offered hand and felt the harsh callouses rub against his palm. “It’s wonderful to meet you too. Unfortunately, the twins never mentioned you. What do you do?”

“I work at a dragon reserve,” Charlie said, his smile never wavering.

“How fascinating,” Harry said, taking a step towards the good looking bloke. “That must be incredibly dangerous. You must have been a Gryffindor to be so brave.”

“Er, yeah,” Charlie answered, his eyes darting from Harry to the twins.

“Do you ever get hot working so close to the dragons? Just strip your robe off and-”

“Okay,” Hermione interrupted and jerked Harry back. She held her hand out to Charlie. “I’m Hermione, Harry’s best friend, and apparently the only one that can keep him in line.” She glared down at the dog that was sitting on his haunches watching the whole scene then over to Neville who was attempting to hold back his laughter with his hand.

“Hello, Hermione. And who is this?” Neville stepped forward to introduce himself and Harry leaned closer to Fred.

“Hey, Fred,” Harry whispered, “is your brother gay?”

Fred blinked at him in surprise, his mouth gaping open. “Um, er, not that one.”

Harry scrunched his nose up in disapproval then jerked back. “Don’t tell me it’s Ronald.”

“Er, no, I don’t think so.”

“Then which one?” Harry asked, wiggling his eyebrows. Harry felt a pressure on his shoulder and turned to see George leaning on his shoulder, a wide smile on his face. He gave Harry a wink.

“Hey,” he said in an over-exaggerated feminine tone.

Harry laughed and pushed the twin away. “Ew. No.”

“But, Harry,” George whined. “I thought you liked redheads.”

Harry rolled his eyes and they stayed to talk to the brothers for a few minutes until another redhead approached. Harry eyed the handsome newcomer, his eyes drawn to the dangling earring.

“Not gay,” Fred sang in Harry’s ear loud enough for the others to hear. Harry felt his face burn as his friends chuckled and he shot them two fingers. Padfoot gave a sharp bark in reprimand. The newcomer was named Bill, and he had come to collect his brothers so the trio told them goodbye and headed back to their tent. 

Nick and Nelly were waiting to get to their seats and Padfoot changed back as they headed to the stands. Harry could hear his godfather relaying the incidents with the Weasleys to his parents and once again his face went red. They settled in the private box Nick had obtained and Nick and Sirius immediately began buying souvenirs from all the vendors that passed. Nick bought them omnioculars which they immediately used to check out the people in the other boxes.  

“Ugh,” Neville cried as he looked across the stadium. “At least we don’t have to share a box with the Malfoys.”

“Who does?” Harry asked, moving his glasses to scan the other boxes.

“The Weasleys,” Neville answered.

“Ugh,” Harry said. “I feel sorry for the twins but not so much Ronald. Oh, there they are,” Harry said, finally spying the box where the family of blonds was sitting near the family of redheads. “Hey, Ginny’s there. She looks bored out of her mind. Merlin, could you imagine being the only girl with all those brothers.”

“First of all,” Neville said, “you’re the only one that wants to imagine being a girl. Secondly, there’s at least two of those brothers you wouldn’t mind being among.”

“Shut up,” Harry cried, giving Neville a push. ”Hermione, you thought they were good looking, didn’t you?” 

“Hmm? Not really,” she said, sounding distracted.

“What… Are you  _ reading _ ?” Harry asked, looking over at his friend to see she had a large book open in her lap.”

“‘Mione,” Neville gaped.

“What?” She said, looking up at their shocked faces and rolling her eyes. “I’m not the one that’s obsessed with quidditch. I’m just here to root for England.”

“England’s not even playing,” Sirius cried out. “It’s Ireland versus Bulgaria.”

“Hermione,” Harry admonished. “How ever are you going to keep Neville’s attention if you can’t even keep up with quidditch? You’ll never get him to the altar at this rate.”

“I don’t  _ want  _ to get him to the altar,” Hermione huffed out.

“Prat,” Neville mumbled to Harry.

The game was over quicker than he’d wanted, but Harry had to admit it had been fun. The Veelas, obviously, hadn’t intrigued him, but he had gotten a bit of a laugh seeing Ronald Weasley almost jump out of the stadium. Harry and the others celebrated with Seamus late into the night when Padfoot finally dragged them back to the tent.

Hermione returned with them to Fire Island the next day. They hadn’t known how long the match was going to go on so she had brought her school trunk just to be on the safe side. They spent the day recovering before going to Diagon Alley the next afternoon for their school supplies. Nelly went to have tea with a friend at the teashop and sent them off with Padfoot, telling them to stay out of trouble and to make sure they ordered dress robes for the Special Event that was to occur that year. They finished their shopping quickly before stopping by Fortescue’s for some ice cream.

There was more talk on the train of the major event occurring at Hogwarts that year, but not even Malfoy’s jibes could get Harry interested in it. At least until it was announced that this “Special Event” meant there wouldn’t be any quidditch that year. Harry joined in the boos and groans that went around the school. The “Special Event” was announced as the Tri-Wizard tournament, and Harry was intrigued to learn other schools would be joining them for the remainder of the school year. Hermione teased that Harry was tired of what England had to offer since he couldn’t have a redhead and just wanted to see what else was out there. Harry simply smiled at her causing Neville to laugh. 

Their new Defense professor that year was an ex-Auror with an eye that kept swirling around madly. Harry wasn’t too impressed with the man when he started their lessons by showing the Unforgivables on spiders and making a point of calling Harry out on his own link to the curses. Harry placed a reassuring hand on Neville’s knee, and the two friends sat silently through the rest of the class. Harry thought that little incident was enough to help with the lesson on resisting the Imperius Curse, or perhaps it was the Occlumency he wasn’t supposed to know. 

The other schools arrived the day before Halloween, and Harry recognized the large horses that were prevalent in France. He thought Professor Hagrid would enjoy taking care of those beasts. He saw several people freaking out when they recognized Viktor Krum among the students for Durmstrang. Hermione rolled her eyes when they saw Weasley practically drooling over Krum as they sat down at the table. He noticed the students from Beauxbatons had already settled at the Ravenclaw table and the Durmstrang students were moving towards the Slytherin table. The trio talked about what they had learned about past tournaments from their research during dinner and only stopped when one of the French girls asked for the bouillabaisse. Harry passed her the dish and asked if she needed anything else. They held a short conversation in French where he offered to help her or any of her classmates if they needed. She got a suspicious gleam in her eyes until Harry leaned in and whispered he’d like to be especially helpful to the blue-eyed boy with brown curls. She gave a twinkling laugh and winked before taking her dish and leaving. Harry couldn’t help but notice the glare Weasley was sending him. He gave a mental shrug and glanced over his shoulder as he sat back down. The blonde was whispering to the boy, and Harry blushed as the other boy glanced back at him with a small smile. Hermione elbowed Harry and chuckled before telling him to focus on his food.

By the following evening, the school was abuzz with the upcoming announcement of the participants. Harry knew the twins had been among those that had attempted to enter their names earlier that day, and the two redheads were still laughing about it at dinner. Harry cheered for each of the participants and extra loud for the Hogwarts champion, Cedric Diggory whom Harry remembered from the year before during quidditch. He cried out in distress when Dumbledore called his name and vehemently denied putting his name in the goblet. When Harry joined the others in the small room Dumbledore suggested calling in Harry’s guardians to get him out of the contract, and Harry narrowed his eyes at the headmaster in suspicion. Had Dumbledore put Harry’s name in the goblet somehow just to find out who his guardians were? Harry wouldn’t put it past him. Unfortunately, Mr. Crouch nixed that idea saying the magical contract was binding and Harry would have to compete. 

When Harry made it up to Gryffindor tower, his fellow housemates were in full celebration mode. Harry did his best to get away from everyone quickly and finally snuck off with Neville and Hermione up to the boys’ dorm. Harry tossed the Gryffindor banner someone had tossed over his shoulder as a cape to the bed.

“Bugger all!” Harry cried out.

“Harry, what happened?” Hermione asked in concern.

“Yeah, mate,” Neville agreed. “How’d your name get in the goblet?”

“I don’t know,” Harry spat out. “But I think Dumbledore is somehow involved. The first thing he suggested was calling my guardians in to dispute the contract.”

“What a prat,” Hermione cried. “Putting your life in danger all because he’s curious.”

“Yeah,” Harry said, dropping down to his bed. “I don’t think he likes not having control over me.”

“That man is really starting to annoy me,” Hermione said. 

“Are you going to tell Nick and Nelly to stay away from the tournament,” Neville asked, his voice clearly saying the Flamels would not agree to that. Harry knew he was right.

“Right,” he scoffed. “No, but I will suggest they use Polyjuice.”

“Good idea,” Hermione said with a nod. “You’d best write them before they find out some other way. No doubt the Daily Prophet is just waiting to find out who the champions are. They’ve probably got a spy somewhere in the school already.”

“Right,” Neville agreed.

“Yeah. I’ll write them real quick and try to get some sleep. I’m sure the whole castle will be accusing me of cheating by tomorrow. No one’s going to believe I didn’t put my name in the goblet myself.”

Hermione crossed over and wrapped her arms around Harry in a tight hug. “We believe you, Harry. And we’re the only ones that matter.”

Harry nodded in agreement and went to pull out paper and quill to write home.

Harry hadn’t been wrong. Plenty of people glared at him and accused him of being a glory hound. The jeers only got worse when a journalist by the name of Rita Skeeter tried to make the entire tournament about Harry, and Malfoy came out with little badges that proclaimed “Potter stinks.” Harry asked him if he used all his brain power to come up with the slogan. Harry and his friends proceeded to ignore the blond prat and his cronies.

The first task was dragons. Or at least they assumed it was dragons when Hermione said she had spotted Charlie Weasley with some other rough looking blokes talking to Professor Hagrid. Harry was more interested in the French brunet he was meeting in Hogsmeade. Harry and his friends met Fleur, Pierre, and a few of the other Beauxbatons students at the gate and gave them a quick tour of Hogsmeade. Eventually Harry and Pierre slipped away from the group and found themselves behind a shop. Harry loved the way Pierre’s curls felt in his fingers, and Pierre had a wicked way with his tongue. Harry felt no shame returning to the common room later, though he did blush at Hermione and Neville’s teasing. 

“It’s definitely dragons, Harry,” Hermione hissed to Harry in the library the following afternoon. 

“I know,” Harry told her. “Pierre overheard Madam Maxime tell Fleur, and he told me. He said Viktor already knew as well, so I told Cedric after breakfast this morning.”

“Well, what are you going to do?” she demanded. “You need a plan.”

Harry shrugged. “I’m an excellent flyer, everyone says so. I’ll just Summon my broom.”

Hermione huffed at the simple plan, but she was clapping wildly a few days later when Harry ended up with the highest score. He was greeted by Sirius and a couple whom he didn’t recognize but to whom he needed no introduction. Harry and his friends made it back to the common room where the other Gryffindors were already celebrating. They urged him to open his golden egg, then immediately begged him to close it at the horrid sound. Harry had no trouble recognizing the mermish for what it was and put the egg aside for now. He had until February, after all.

The next surprise came when McGonagall announced there would be a Yule Ball on Christmas day with mandatory attendance by the Champions. Harry nudged Neville. 

“Quick. Ask Hermione before someone else does,” he whispered to the blond. Neville shot him two fingers and Harry giggled. 

“Mr. Potter, do you have something to add?” McGonagall snapped.

“Er, yeah actually,” Harry said, glancing around nervously. “I, er, just wondered if I had to invite a girl.”

McGonagall’s lips thinned in clear irritation. “Did I not just say all Champions were required to attend with a date?”

“Well, yeah. But you didn’t specify a date of the opposite gender, so I just wondered if I had to invite a girl or if I could go with a guy.”

McGonagall gaped at him for a moment while the rest of the class buzzed. Harry knew news of his sexuality would be all over the castle by dinner time. If not before. “I suppose, if that is your preference, it will be acceptable,” she finally said before turning her attention to the rest of the class.

“Great,” Harry whispered. “Now if I just knew how to dance.”

“I can teach you,” Neville said as they pulled their books out. “Gran made me take dancing lessons when I was younger.”

Harry smiled at his friend. “Bril. Thanks, Nev.”

During lunch Harry tracked Pierre down and asked if he wanted to go with him. Pierre regretfully told him he had already agreed to go with his awkwardly shy cousin. Harry had met the girl a few times and couldn’t blame Pierre for being such a sweet cousin. He told the other boy so before giving him a kiss on the cheek and making him promise to save a dance for Harry.

“I’m going to ask Ginny Weasley,” Neville told them on their way to dinner that evening. 

Harry gaped at his friend. “Neville, how could you? Look at poor Hermione over here. She’s heartbroken.”

“What?” Hermione asked, looking up from her book.

“Neville was just begging you to go to the Yule Ball with him.”

“Can’t,” Hermione said, turning her attention back to her book as they settled down at the Gryffindor table. Neville was already hitting Harry over the head but paused at Hermione’s next words. “Viktor’s already asked me and I agreed.”

“What?” Both boys cried at the same time. 

She looked over at them. “You know we’ve been studying together.”

“Um, no,” Harry pointed out. “ _ You’ve _ been studying. Viktor just watches you.” Hermione’s cheeks blushed a bright red. “Oh no,” Harry cried. “Treason. You’re going to break Neville’s heart. Look, he’s pining for you.”

Neville rolled his eyes and stood from the table. “Ginny. Ginny, have you got a moment?”

Harry shook his head in dramatic effect. “I fear you two will pine to death of your unrequited feelings for each other. Ow!” Harry rubbed at the back of his head and frowned at Hermione. “What was that for?”

“You’re an idiot, Harry Potter.”

“Potter!” Harry jerked back as George plopped down beside him. “I heard you’re taking a wizard to the ball. I also heard your boyfriend turned you down.”

“He didn’t turn me down,” Harry denied. “He’d already promised his cousin they could go together.” George waved the explanation away.

“Whatever. You’re my date now. Try not to look prettier than me.” George stood and pressed a playful kiss to Harry’s forehead before sauntering off.

“You know,” Harry called after him, “a bloke likes to be asked too. Prat,” Harry mumbled as he turned back to his dinner. 

Harry was grateful for the dance lessons Neville gave him, especially when he was able to lead Pierre out for a slow dance. George was fun to dance with, and, at one point, the twins switched so Harry was dancing with Fred while George danced with Angelina. He caught Hermione and Viktor dancing as well as Ginny and Neville. Harry shared a dance with Hermione but still remembered Ginny’s words from that day on the platform so refrained from that one. Harry lost track of how many people he danced with before dragging himself to his dorm and collapsing into bed, completely exhausted.

A few days later Harry traded the key to solving the egg for the password to the prefect’s bathroom, and he and Cedric went to listen to their next clue. Harry couldn’t help but taking a peek at the older boy as they slipped into the warm water, it was just too bad Cedric had left his pants on. Later Harry repeated the words of the song to Hermione and Neville and the three friends agreed that Gillyweed would be for the best. Harry sat down and penned a quick note to Nelly. Seeing the little blonde girl floating next to Hermione and Neville tore at Harry’s heart. He waited for Cedric to rescue Cho Chang, the Ravenclaw Seeker, and Viktor to get Hermione. After several minutes had past with no sign of Fleur, Harry fought past the merfolk and took both Neville and the little girl. His apparent act of bravery once again put him in the lead for the final task that would take place in June. 

In the meantime, Harry prepared himself for the upcoming ritual. He wasn’t sure how Sirius had managed it, but Harry found himself being whisked away from the school on the afternoon of the twentieth. Harry couldn’t help the butterflies in his stomach as they met up with Nick and Nelly just outside Stonehenge. A severe looking goblin met them just outside the ring of circles and led Harry inside, telling the others the circle had been cleansed so they couldn’t enter. The goblin had Harry lay down on a sheet of shimmering white silk and close his eyes. 

Harry woke to the sound of Nelly’s soft cooing, and he blinked his eyes open. He could tell right away he was in his bedroom on Fire Island. Nelly brought a cup to his lips, and Harry drank the cool water. He dropped his head back to the pillow, and Nelly brushed her fingers through his hair.

“How are you feeling, love?”

“Tired,” Harry croaked.

“You did really well,” she told him. “It’s gone. We watched the spirit leave you, and Nick cast the spell to banish it.”

Harry felt the tears in his eyes. “Thank you.”

Nelly smiled down at him. “Anything for our little wizard.” She leaned over and pressed a kiss to Harry’s forehead. “Get some sleep. Sirius will take you back to school tomorrow.”

Harry smiled weakly at her as she stood and left the room. It didn’t take him long to fall back asleep.

When Harry returned to school, he and his friends had a small celebration, and he admitted he didn’t really feel all that different, though he was grateful to discover that he had kept the ability to speak Parseltongue and wouldn’t have to relearn it. They returned to their classes and studying for the end of year exams, though Harry was exempt due to his Champion status. Harry spent the next few weekends reading various books on different types of magic and practicing defense spells as well as different charms.

On the day of the final task Sirius and Remus arrived early to support him and spend the day with him. They walked the ground, and Harry listened avidly as Sirius and Remus shared stories of their school days with Harry’s parents. They showed Harry the secret to the Whomping Willow, how to press the little knot and follow the tunnel to the Shrieking Shack. They made it back to Hogwarts in time for lunch, and Harry was introduced to Fleur’s parents. Sirius gave Harry a small good luck charm Nelly had sent to him; he slipped the silver chain over his neck, admiring the emerald lily charm that hung from the necklace. 

After lunch, Harry took Sirius and Remus up to the Gryffindor dorm, but Sirius dragged him off in another direction and told Harry to watch the blank wall in front of them. Harry smiled broadly when a door appeared and he found himself in a room that was a near exact replica of his bedroom on Fire Island. Sirius had him try the secret room, and Harry gasped in glee when a small lake and forest appeared. They spent the afternoon by the created lake trying to help Harry relax and keep his mind off that evening’s events. Harry reassured him he wasn’t too worried about it as he could only do his best.

After dinner the contestants were ushered to where the Quidditch pitch had once stood. Harry, being in the lead, was allowed to enter the maze first. He came across one of Hagrid’s Blast-ended Skrewts and a Boggart which immediately became a Dementor. Harry cast his Patronus followed by a Riddikulus and moved on. He thought he heard Fleur scream at one point as he moved through the maze and quickly answered the Sphinx’s riddle. Harry acted quickly when he saw the Acromantula, casting a bright flash of light that momentarily blinded the giant spider’s eyes. Harry cast a Disillusionment spell over himself and carefully made his way past the spider. He breathed a sigh of relief when the creature went chasing after some noise further down the maze. Finally Harry stepped into a clearing with a cup gleaming on top of a plinth. Harry paused momentarily in shock, hardly believing that it was still there. That no one had beat him to it. A noise behind Harry spurred him into action and he rushed forward to grab the trophy. The moment his fingers wrapped around the handle he felt a familiar tugging on his naval.

Harry landed on hard ground, his eyes taking time to adjust to the bright lights after the darkness of the maze. There was a roaring in his ears, and it took him a moment to realize it was the cheering crowd. Harry was knock off his feet and pulled into a hug, Sirius’s laughter ringing in his ear as he was swung around. It was more heady than the first win against Slytherin as hundreds of wands shot fireworks into the night sky. 

“I knew you could do, my little wizard,” Harry heard a female voice beside him and he turned to see a stranger. He smiled brightly at her as he threw his arms around her. 

“Mum! Mum, I won. Did you see me? Where’s Papa?” Harry looked around and smiled at the other stranger standing beside Remus. “Papa. Did you see?”

The stranger nodded and smiled proudly at him. “I did, Harry. You were great.”

“Harry.” Harry looked up at the approaching wizard, but even the sight of Dumbledore couldn’t dampen his joy. Dumbledore smiled benignly at the couple. “You must be Harry’s guardians.”

“Nick” gave the headmaster a stern look. “I assume you are the one that put my son’s name in the goblet all for the chance to meet his elusive guardians.” Harry noticed Cornelius Fudge standing just behind Dumbledore. Dumbledore’s smile faltered slightly.

“I’m sure I don’t know what you are talking about, sir.”

“Well, it seems to me you were the only one with the means to do so. You  _ were _ the one that placed the aging line around the goblet were you not? Next time your curiosity gets the better of you, Headmaster, I suggest you choose a course of action that does not involve the possibility of my son being murdered. I am seriously doubting allowing him to return to Hogwarts next year.”

Harry smiled at his dad as he was pulled along by Neville. Harry’s family followed, Fudge quickly on their heels. 

“...sure you I will look into this matter, sir,” Harry heard Fudge saying. Harry was ushered up to a podium. “...Potter a valued member of British society…” Cameras flashed repeatedly and for once Harry didn’t mind. Krum walked up to him, looking rather haggard, with sticks in his hair and his robe torn. Krum shook his head and told him he had been honored to compete with him. Fleur didn’t look much better with a smear of dirt on her cheek and her shoulder bleeding. She hugged him and kissed his cheek. Professor Sprout helped a limping Cedric up, and the two Hufflepuff’s shook his hand warmly. Cedric explained he hadn’t lasted twenty minutes in the maze so was glad at least Hogwarts had still won the cup.

Eventually, everyone was ushered back to the castle where the hall had been decorated with Gryffindor banners and even the ghosts were cheering. Cake and ice cream was served to everyone while Harry and the other Champions were seated at the Head table with Harry’s chair replacing the headmaster’s. The Champions exchanged stories of what they faced in the maze, and the others were amazed when Harry mentioned the Acromantula. Fudge was given the honor of handing Harry his winnings and more photos were taken before everyone was finally sent off to bed. Harry handed over the bag of Galleons to Sirius to place in Nick’s vault on Fire Island until he could get to Gringotts. Once again, Harry crashed into his bed.

The last week of school was spent saying goodbyes and exchanging addresses. Pierre gave Harry a memorable goodbye that one hundred percent certified his preference for the male form and neither made promises for the future. Harry teased Neville when he saw Hermione and Viktor exchanging information, and Neville elbowed Harry in the stomach.

Sirius took Harry and Neville to Canada almost as soon as the boys stepped off the train. They spent most of the month hiking along beautiful trails and swimming in crystal clear lakes. The boys spent many afternoons shirtless, and Harry noticed they both seemed to be getting a bit of color to them. He also noticed Neville was losing weight with all the activity. Near the end of July, Harry finally received the letter he had been hoping for and announced they were expected back in London for Neville’s birthday.

They arrived at Fire Island on the twenty-ninth and took the day to rest before heading to London early the next morning. Hermione met them at the Leaky, and the small group headed to Longbottom Manor. Hermione asked Harry if he knew what was going on, and he just smiled enigmatically at her. A house elf led them to the parlor where Nick, Nelly, and Lady Longbottom were waiting for them. She greeted them each, and Harry noticed she seemed to hug Neville just a bit tighter than normal. They settled around the parlor as tea was passed around by an efficient house elf. Finally, Nick cleared his throat.

“I do hope you boys have had a nice summer so far.”

Neville nodded politely. “Yes, sir. Thank you for allowing me to join Harry and his godfather. Canada is such a beautiful country.”

“It is,” Nick agreed. “I am sorry you had to cut your trip a bit short, but I thought today would be an excellent day for a surprise. You see, Neville, Harry came to me a few years ago with a request, and I have been working diligently on it for the last several years. A few months ago, my partner and I had a breakthrough and we were able to see the fruits of our labor last week. You might say this is your birthday present from all of us, but really, it was Harry’s doing.” Nick beamed at Harry. “Without Harry, I might never have thought to pursue this particular line of inquiry. Neville,” Nick continued with a motion of his hand, and Harry and the others turned to see two people standing near the parlor door.

The man was taller than the woman with deep, brown hair streaked with grey and a sallow look about his face. The woman had short, curly hair that was nearly fully grey and looked almost exactly like Neville. It was obvious they were underfed and weren’t completely healthy, but neither looked as if they cared at the moment as their eyes stayed glued on Neville. The woman gave a soft smile and took a step forward.

“Hello, Neville.” Her voice was soft, as if she were afraid or unable to speak too loud. But it was enough to bring Neville to his feet. He gaped at the two newcomers and turned to his grandmother as if to ask if it was real. She nodded, her soft blue eyes watery with unshed tears.

Neville turned back to the couple and raced across the room. “Mum. Dad!” he cried throwing his arms around them. Harry turned his own watery eyes away from the scene to see Hermione weeping into a handkerchief and Nelly dabbing at her eyes. He felt a hand on his shoulder and turned to face Neville’s formidable grandmother.

“Thank you, Harry.”

Harry gave a half hearted shrug. “I didn’t do much. Just asked my dad for a favor. He’s the one that did all the work.”

“Well, not all,” Nick said. “You know I brought Professor Snape in a little over a year ago. Corresponding with him about… other matters showed me how intelligent he is. In fact, I hope you don’t mind, Harry, but I’ve quite stolen him away from Hogwarts.”

Harry gaped at his father. “What?”

“Yes. Severus and I are going into research together. The income from this potion alone will keep him comfortable for years, and he really is quite intelligent. I look forward to seeing what he can come up with.”

Harry raised his eyebrows but didn’t say anything. He knew his father had the habit of occasionally taking on research partners; if he admired Snape so be it. Harry was sure there would be plenty of students happy to see the man go, he just wasn’t sure he would be one of them. There had been very little interaction between them outside of class, but Harry had admired the man’s intelligence. Maybe he’d see Snape around Fire Island during the summer sometime. But he didn’t have time to worry about that right now. Today was a day of celebration.

News quickly spread of the breakthrough in magical medicine had by one Nicholas Flamel and Severus Snape, the Longbottoms living proof of the miracle. Harry was pleased to see the newspaper filled with photos of Neville and his parents and began to cut them out to put together a scrapbook for his friend. He spent most of his free time with Hermione, not begrudging Neville this time with his parents. The three met up a week before term started to do their shopping; Harry was happy to spend the time with the Longbottoms and getting to know them. They looked worlds better already, and Neville’s father was talking about rejoining the Aurors while his mother seemed content to look after her family. Just before the start of the new term there was an announcement in the Prophet that Snape would not be returning to teach at Hogwarts as he had taken a lucrative position as Flamel’s partner, and the two hoped to make leaps and bounds in innovative research. Harry wondered who the new potions professor would be.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *Yes, he likes the attention.


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you all for the great comments. Here's another chapter for you. This one's a bit longer than the others (I know. I can hear you all moaning and complaining now) and time is moving forward (No underage in this fic). Also, warning: Major Plot Twist ahead. (Fair warning: I got this idea after reading some pretty wild fics on ff.net) (Don't look at me like that. I was bored!) Anyway, enjoy.

It turned out to be the old potions professor, as it so happened. The man, Horace Slughorn, had apparently been the potions professor and head of Slytherin when Harry’s parents had been at school. The man seemed nearly obsessed with Harry as he constantly invited Harry to luncheons and dinners. Harry tried to avoid as many as he could, mainly using his duties as team Seeker and prefect as excuses. He and Hermione had both been pleasantly surprised to see the prefect badges in their letters, though Neville just said they were idiots if they hadn’t expected them. It also helped that prefects couldn’t take house points from each other, so Malfoy had nothing to hold over Harry’s head.

There had apparently also been something to Fudge’s promise to see about the Goblet Incident as the new Defense teacher was some ministry lackey who probably couldn’t even cast a proper Shielding spell. Of course they wouldn’t know since their classes would be theory only that year with no practical lessons. Hermione thought that was highly unfair since it was their OWL year and suggested to Harry they start a study group. Harry remembered the room Sirius had shown him the previous year and told several of his housemates where to meet after dinner if they wanted to join in the study group. Just to cover his bases, as the muggle saying went, Harry got permission from a professor to form a study group. Except Harry wasn’t an idiot, so he had gone to the one professor he knew would deny him nothing. Slughorn immediately said yes without even questioning Harry who would be in the club, what they would be studying, or even _where_ they would be studying. 

Ginny introduced a Ravenclaw in her year named Luna, and Harry liked her instantly. He thought Nelly would appreciate her uniqueness. He thought he might have won the girl’s regard when, during a conversation with some Hufflepuffs, Luna mentioned Nargles and the other students began to tease her saying the creatures didn’t exist. Harry stopped in his tracks and confronted the small group to inform them that Nargles did, in fact, exist. In fact, his mother had an entire nest of them in her greenhouse as they were good at keeping away Flittering Humdingers. The study group met once a week, and Harry helped some of them on their more advanced spells that he was already familiar with.

The school year went relatively smooth for Harry. Umbridge, the Defense teacher, didn’t seem to care for Harry too much, but she seemed more inclined to keeping an eye on Dumbledore. She did question Harry about the study group, but once Slughorn said he had given his permission she let the subject drop. Somehow, Ron Weasley had made the team as Keeper and by even more of a miracle they beat Slytherin in the first game. The twins were still working on their joke products, even selling a few to the students on the sly. Harry teased them he might have to take their stash away as prefect, and George asked with a wink if he could “earn” them back. Harry left the pile of candies alone.

Harry was slightly surprised when he showed up to the study group one evening to find a group of Slytherins waiting for them. Their spokesperson seemed to be Blaise Zabini who explained they had heard of the study group and asked if they could join. 

“We aren’t all prats like Malfoy, you know?” Harry smiled brightly and welcomed the Slytherins into the room. It didn’t take long before Harry and Blaise were meeting in the secret room for more than study group. It also didn’t take long for Harry to realize he liked the reassuring weight of a well-built man pressing him down. Although Harry didn’t think he was ready for full, penetrative sex he was eager to explore other areas of mutual satisfaction and Blaise was happy to comply.

Before Harry knew it, they were taking their O.W.Ls and making plans for the summer. Neville would be spending most of the summer with his folks, so Harry agreed to go skiing with Hermione and her parents for two weeks before the teenagers huddled up on Fire Island for the rest of the summer. Hermione’s parents were going to be guest speakers at some dentist conference in America, so she had elected to stay with Harry during the month of July. They spent the month working on their homework, helping Nelly harvest plants from the greenhouse, collecting potion ingredients from various creatures, and working on Harry’s Parselmagic. They didn’t see much of Nick as he and Snape were making the circuit of potion conventions around Europe, though he did congratulate Harry on getting Es and Os on his O.W.Ls.

Neville and his parents joined Harry, Hermione, Sirius, Nick, and Nelly on Fire Island for the boys’ birthdays. They showed the Longbottoms the private inlet and pointed out the cave where the Basilisks lived. Harry was surprised when the Weasley twins showed up the morning of his birthday, and Sirius informed Harry that he had decided to invest in their shop. He had remembered their plan from when they had talked about it at the world cup and had gotten in touch with the jokesters after they had taken their N.E.W.Ts. Since they were now business partners with Harry’s godfather, Sirius had thought it okay to invite them. Harry thanked his godfather and eyed the gift from the twins warily. The adults retired long before the teens finally crashed, spread out among the assorted furniture in the parlor.

Harry hoped his sixth year was just a uneventful as his fifth year. The ministry official was gone and had been replaced by Kingsley Shacklebolt. Harry remembered the man from the Pettigrew episode and immediately liked the man’s teaching style. He was firm but had a way of making their lessons fun. Occasionally he would bring in his partner, a Metamorphmagus Harry had meet a few years earlier and remembered was Sirius’s cousin. Harry had a fairly good idea why Kingsley was the Defense professor that year when the man called him into his office just after the Christmas holidays. He questioned Harry intently about his vaults and Dumbledore’s attempted access over the years. Harry asked if Dumbledore was still under investigation regarding Harry, and Kingsley gave a cryptic response that led Harry to believe he wasn’t the only person Dumbledore had tried to manipulate over the years. Harry, Hermione, and Neville wondered if Dumbledore would even be headmaster the following year. 

Apparition lessons started in February, and the trio congregated on the opposite side of the room from either Malfoy or Weasley. Both boys still seemed to have a grudge against them in general, or Harry specifically. Harry teased Hermione that she would be able to Apparate to Neville’s over the summer so they could finally begin their torrid affair. Hermione knocked him to the ground just as he was attempting to Apparate into the designated ring. 

Harry wasn’t surprised Hermione had no problems passing her Apparition test, and they snuck down to the kitchens to wheedle a celebratory cake out of the house elves. After that, the trio set to revising for the end of year exams that were quickly approaching.

Harry spent June at the Longbottom estate before Sirius took him to Italy for two weeks. They returned to Fire Island where Harry spent the next week working through his schoolwork and practicing his Parselmagic. Hermione and Neville arrived a week before the boys’ birthdays, and the trio spent most of the days traipsing around the island. A few days before their birthdays a fierce storm rolled in off the ocean, trapping the trio inside. They were seated around the breakfast table trying to decide what to do that day when the mail arrived. Nick handed an envelope over to Harry and he skimmed over it.

“What’s that, Harry?” Sirius asked, looking up from a letter with a purple seal and twin Ws embossed on it.

“A letter from Gringotts. I’ve got an appointment to go see them after my birthday to officially claim my inheritance.”

“Oh,” Sirius’s eyes lit up. “That’s right. You get to officially claim the titles of Lord Potter  _ and  _ Lord Gryffindor.”

“We might as well make a day of it,” Nelly said. “You’ll need official robes as well.”

Harry groaned and Neville let out a sound. Harry turned to his friend to see Neville giving him a wide smile. “That’s what we can do today.”

“What?” Hermione asked.

“That test thing Gringotts did. Remember? You told us all about it a few years ago.”

“Oh, yeah,” Harry said. “Yeah, we can see if you’ve got anything coming to you as well.”

“Yeah. And we’ll do Hermione too.”

Harry gave his friend a sly smile. “I’m gay, remember. But  _ you  _ can still do Hermione.”

“Harry James!” Nelly and Hermione cried at the same time while Sirius stuffed his fist into his mouth to keep from laughing.

“Sorry,” Harry mumbled, biting back his own grin.

“Besides,” Hermione said, “I’m a muggle-born. I wouldn’t have anything.”

“You might be surprised,” Nick said. “There’s a theory that muggle-borns actually come from a squib line of older wizarding families.” He gave a slight shrug. “If not, it’ll still be interesting and something to do. The spell for the parchment is in  _ Protecting the Lineage _ , Harry. I believe it is on the far left shelf in the library.”

“Thanks, dad,” Harry beamed at the man. Everyone around the table looked up at the sound of a bell that announced someone arriving by Floo.

“That’ll be Severus,” Nick said, standing up and placing his napkin next to his empty plate. He leaned over to press a kiss to Nelly’s temple. “We’ll be in my study going over some research today if you need me.”

“You’re not experimenting?” Harry asked as Nick moved around the table to press another kiss to the top of Harry’s head.

“No. We’re getting ready to start a new project so we want to go over some possible variations.”

“Good luck,” Harry called out as Nick left the dining room.

Sirius stood up as well. “I had best go as well. The twins are looking into extending one of their lines and would like some input. I’ll be back by dinner. Good luck with the testing, kids,” Sirius said as he walked past them, ruffling Harry’s hair as he went. 

A half hour later the trio were in the library searching through the indicated bookshelf.

“Here it is,” Neville called and the others rushed over to see him pulling a burgundy-covered book from the shelves. 

“Bring it over to the desk,” Harry said, leading the way. He and Hermione quickly cleared the desk off as Neville carried the tome over. He placed it on the desk and flipped it open to the index. The three read through the chapter titles searching for what they might need.

“What do they mean ‘Ensuring Legitimacy’?” Hermione asked.

“Probably contraceptive spells,” Neville mumbled in reply. “Here’s home protection spells,” he added, pointing to another chapter title.

“Here,” Harry said, pointing to a chapter titled “Genealogy and Lineage Spells”. “This is probably what we need.” He quickly flipped to the page indicated and began to scan the sub-chapters. “ _ Parental Identification spell, Ancestry Line _ ( _ Charm for parchment) _ . They did that one on me as well,” Harry said as he continued to skim the pages. “Oh. Here.  _ Holding and Inheritance Record (Charm for parchment) _ .” Neville and Hermione moved in closer as Harry read over the instructions.

“It says we need clean parchment,” Hermione said. “Why does it say that?”

“Sometimes people spell used parchment clean to reuse,” Neville explained while Harry sorted through the desk drawers and pulled out three clean sheets of parchment. He knew Nick never kept used parchment, so he knew these would be clean. Harry placed the parchment on the table and pulled a single sheet forward. “Here. We’ll start with mine since I already know what it should say.” Harry read the instructions one more time, smiling at the memory of when he’d taken this test the first time. “Alright, Hermione. You’re the best at Charms so you cast the spell.”

“Okay,” Hermione said, stepping forward to read through the spell a few times before taping her wand to the parchment and saying the incantation. The trio watched with bated breath as the parchment glowed a soft blue before the aura seemed to sink into the paper. “I guess that’s it. Your turn, Harry.”

She moved out of the way, and Harry stepped forward once more. “You have to place your finger up here,” he pointed to the top of the parchment. “And you’ll feel a small prick, but you have to keep your finger in place.” The others nodded in understanding, and Harry placed his finger at the top of the page, just like he’d done all those years ago in Bentwood’s office. The small prick wasn’t as bad as he thought he’d remembered, but then again he’d been a terrified, eight year old child. As soon as his name appeared at the top of the parchment he pulled his hand back, and the trio watched as the page began to fill in. 

_ Harry James Potter _ _(B. 31 July 1980) Son of James Fleamont Potter (B. 27 March 1960 D. 31 Oct. 1981) and Lily Jacqueline Evans (B. 30 Jan 1960 D. 31 Oct. 1981) Godson to Sirius Orion Black (B. 3 Nov. 1959) (Magical Guardian). Current vaults: Potter heir vault. Gryffindor heir vault. Current titles: Lord Potter. Lord Gryffindor. Inheritances upon majority: Potter Lordship vaults. Gryffindor Titleholder vaults. ½ shared ownership Hogwarts castle and lands. Potter Wizengamot seat. Gryffindor Wizengamot seat. Gryffindor Hogwarts Board of Trustees seat. All Potter holdings. Gryffindor Manor._

“Brilliant,” Harry cried. “It worked.”

“Bloody hell, Harry,” Neville gasped.

“Wait,” Harry said and pointed to the parchment. “That’s changed.”

“What has?” Hermione asked, moving over to see where he was pointing.

Harry jabbed his finger at the parchment. “This. When I originally did the test it said I would have ⅓ shared ownership of Hogwarts. Now it says ½.”

“I wonder if that has to do with all the pieces of Voldemort’s soul that they’ve destroyed,” Hermione said.

“But there’s still that last bit out there,” Harry pointed out.

“Like one-sixth of a person’s soul probably doesn’t count enough to receive an inheritance,” Neville pointed out.

Harry rolled his eyes. “I wonder who else owns Hogwarts.”

“Maybe you can ask when you meet with the goblins,” Hermione said, pulling a second sheet of parchment towards her. “Okay, Nev. Your turn.” She repeated the spell and once again the paper glowed a soft blue before settling down. Harry watch anxiously as Neville pressed a finger to the top of the parchment. He gave a small jerk at the prick but stayed still until his name began to appear. The three friends watched as the parchment filled up. 

_ Neville Francis Longbottom (B. 30 July 1980) Son of Francis Leonardo Longbottom (B. 17 November 1958) and Allison Marie Bones (B. 2 May 1959) Current vaults: Longbottom Heir Vault. Current titles: Lord Longbottom heir apparent.  _

The script ended abruptly and the trio stood blinking down at it.

“Did it stop working?” Hermione asked confused. 

“No,” Neville answered. “The next portion would be what I received upon my majority but since my parents are still alive and are now competent I’ll only get my inheritance when they pass. Of course there’s plenty in the heir vault so it’s not like I’ll be destitute.”

Harry turned a bright smile on Hermione. “Hear that, Hermione? You’d best snatch him up before the other witches hear about his future lordship. He can support you now. He can buy you a nice little bookstore, and the two of you can read books and tend the garden.” Harry clasped his hands together and brought them to his chest before giving a dreamy smile and fluttering his lashes. “Ah, l’amour.” Hermione and Neville both slapped Harry on the back of the head. “Ow!” he cried, rubbing the sore spot.

“Your turn, Hermione,” Neville said, ignoring Harry.

Hermione sighed. “I still don’t know why I’m doing this,” she mumbled as she pulled the last sheet towards her.

“Because it’s raining and we’re bored,” Harry answered. As if to prove Harry’s point a loud clap of thunder rang outside the window and a bolt of lightning flashed a moment later. Hermione sighed.

“Fine.” She muttered the incantation one more time and waited for the light to absorb into the parchment. She placed a finger at the top of the page and Harry noticed she didn’t jerk at the sharp prick. As soon as her name began to slide onto the page she pulled her finger back and they watched in anticipation.

_ Hermione Jean Granger (Blood Adopted 1 Nov 1981) Adopted daughter of David Louis Granger (B. 17 March 1953) and Jean Denise Lovell (B. 1 June 1955) Magical Guardian: Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore (B. 25 August 1881). _

“What?” Hermione cried, and Harry glanced nervously at her before turning his attention back to the page. “Where’s my birthdate?” The script ignored her as it continued to flow across the page.

_ Lily Jacqueline Evans (Blood Adopted 1 Jan 1961 D. 31 Oct. 1981) Adopted daughter of Henry Christopher Evans (B.12 February 1935 D. 3 May 1976) and Hyacinth Ariel White (B. 9 August 1942 D. 16 June 1980) Magical Guardian: Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore (B. 25 August 1881). _

Harry gaped down at the parchment then back up at Hermione. How could this be? It couldn’t be possible. Harry turned his attention back to the parchment as one more name was added to the growing list.

_ Kathleen Amanda Ravenclaw _ _(B. 19 September 1935 D. 31 December 1960) Daughter of Simeon Augustus Ravenclaw (B. 28 June 1904 D. 31 December 1960) and Eleanora Clementine Selwyn (B. 2 February 1922 D. 31 December 1960). Current holdings: Private vault of Lily Potter, vault 632. Ravenclaw Titleholder vaults. ½ shared ownership Hogwarts castle and lands. Ravenclaw Wizengamot seat (Abeyance). Ravenclaw Hogwarts Board of Trustees seat (Abeyance). Headmistress of Hogwarts (Abeyance). Ravenclaw Manor._

The three friends stood staring down at the parchment as if waiting for it to reveal more secrets. 

“I don’t understand,” Hermione whispered hoarsely.

Harry swallowed to moisten his throat. “I think we’d best go see my dad,” he whispered. The others nodded, and Harry gingerly picked up the parchment. He took Hermione’s hand and tugged gently. With Neville’s hand on the small of her back the two boys led their shocked friend upstairs to Nick’s private office. Harry had forgotten his dad wasn’t alone and so didn’t think to knock when he reached the private study. He pushed the door open and stepped in. “Dad, I think we have a problem.”

He paused as two heads looked up at his words and blinked in surprise at the man he barely recognized. Snape had changed in the years since Harry had seen him, or perhaps Harry had matured and was seeing the man in a new light. His dark hair was pulled back and the sleeves of his green robe were pushed up. Harry had remembered their teacher as looking much sterner and quite a bit paler, though the nose was still large and almost beaky. Harry had the faint thought that it made the man look more elegant.

“Harry?” Harry turned at Nick’s words.

“Er, sorry to interrupt, but I thought this was important.” Harry dropped Hermione’s hand, leaving her with Neville, and crossed the room. He handed the parchment across the desk, and Nick took it. Harry watched as the two men read through the parchment; Nick’s brows furrowed the more he read, and Snape’s face lost what little color it had acquired. Harry remembered Snape had been friends with his mum, and he gave an internal wince at the realization that this man had mourned Lily Potter’s death.  

Harry stepped to the side when Neville brought Hermione forward and helped settle her in one of the chairs. Neville sat in the other, holding onto Hermione’s hand for comfort. 

“Are you sure the spell was done right?” Nick asked as he finally lowered the parchment, and Harry nodded.

“We had Hermione cast it, and I went first. The only difference on mine was it said I was half owner of Hogwarts instead of a third, but Neville reckons that’s because what’s left of Riddle isn’t enough to qualify as an heir.”

Nick nodded distractedly. “I suggest we make a trip to Gringotts today.”

“If I might,” Snape interrupted. “Lily had a birthmark on her inside left ankle.” All three teenagers looked at Snape in surprise then down at Hermione’s foot. “When you looked down on it it looked like an eagle soaring. It was the mark of the Ravenclaws, that is the reason their house mascot is an eagle. Lily and I used to pretend she was a descendant of some long-forgotten Ravenclaw squib.” Harry had to place a hand on Hermione’s shoulder as he felt his own breathing becoming harsh.

“Harry!” Nick cried out and jumped from the desk.

“We’ve seen it, sir,” Neville said. "When we go swimming, we’ve seen it.”

Nick wrapped his arms around Harry to help support him as he was nearly overcome with the implications. “I think we’d best get to Gringotts right away. Selly?” One of the house elves that Harry hardly ever saw appeared beside them. “Tell Nelly there is an emergency, and we must leave for Gringotts immediately.” The elf nodded and popped away.

“Perhaps I should-”

“No,” Harry cut his ex-professor off. “Please, sir. You knew my mother better than any of us. If Hermione really is my mum you might be able to help us figure some things out. Besides, you deserve to know the truth.”

Snape gave a nod. “Thank you, Mr. Potter. Or is it Flamel?” Snape said with a look at Nick.

“I told you I had a son,” Nick said defensively.

“You might have mentioned it was Potter.” Nick shrugged just as Nelly popped into the study.

“Nick, what’s going on?”

“Come. I’ll explain when we get there.” He motioned to the large fireplace across the room. “We can take this Floo. It has a direct line to Gringotts. I’ll go first and have them let Bentwood know we are coming.”

Harry watched as Nick stepped through the green flames followed by Snape who had grabbed the original parchment. Harry turned to his friends. “Come on, Hermione. Neville will go first and I’ll follow you.” She nodded, and Harry could tell she was still in a bit of shock. Harry waited while his friends stepped through then turned to Nelly. He wrapped his arms around her in a quick hug. “I think this is going to be bad, mum. Really,  _ really  _ bad.” She placed a kiss on the top of Harry’s head and gently nudged him towards the fireplace. 

Snape was waiting beside the Floo with Hermione and Neville when Harry stepped out. Nelly was right behind him, and they saw Nick heading their way. He waved them over and the small group followed him to Bentwood’s office. The distinguished goblin Harry had met with many times over the years looked up from his desk and immediately several more chairs appeared. Somehow Hermione ended up between Harry and Nelly while Harry ended up between her and Snape. Neville was on the other side of Nelly while Nick was at the far end next to Snape.

“Sir Nick,” Bentwood said in his typical gruff voice. “It’s been a while since you’ve had an unexpected visit.” The goblin’s eyes darted to Harry then back to Nick. “What can I do for you today?”

“As you know, my son’s seventeenth birthday is coming up as is his friend, Mr. Longbottom.” The goblin nodded. “To while away the time the boys decided to run a Holdings test, much as you had done for Harry that first day. There were, obviously, no surprises- Well, one, but that is unimportant at this time and we will address later. They convinced their friend, Ms. Granger, who is a muggle-born to take the test as well. For fun. Unfortunately, the results were completely unexpected.”

Nick took the parchment from Snape and passed it to the goblin. Harry watched Bentwood look over the parchment, his eyes narrowing as he read down the script. He looked up at Harry. “Who cast the charm?”

“Hermione did, sir,” Harry explained, pointing out Hermione. “She’s really good at Charms, and I tested the first one out. We followed the instructions exactly, making sure to use fresh parchment, and I instructed my friends not to move their hands away when they felt the prick.”

“There was a discrepancy in yours,” the goblin said. Harry nodded then paused and gave a shrug.

“Kind of. When I originally took the test it said I was expected to inherit a third of Hogwarts. Now it says I’m expected to inherit half.”

The goblin nodded. “The Slytherin line has officially died out.” Harry glanced over at Nick in surprise, and the man exchanged a look with Snape.

“What?” Harry demanded. “What haven’t you told me?”

Nick let out a sigh. “Severus and I destroyed the last remnant of Riddle a few months ago.”

Harry gaped at the man. “And you didn’t think to tell me?”

“I was going to tell you on your birthday,” Nick said stiffly. “It was going to be your birthday present.” Harry smiled brightly at the man.

“Aw. Thanks, dad. You’re brilliant.” Nick rolled his eyes and indicated the goblin. They turned their attention back to Bentwood. 

The goblin was already pulling out a fresh sheet of parchment and placing it on his desk. “Okay, Ms. Granger, once more. Finger up here and don’t jerk away at the bite.”

Harry saw Nelly give Hermione’s hand a squeeze, and Hermione carefully stood and stepped closer to the desk. She placed her finger on the parchment, and Harry watched her face avidly. Hermione squeezed her eyes closed and stepped back after a moment. Nelly helped her back into her chair and the entire room seemed to hold its breath. Finally, the goblin picked the sheet of paper up and read over it.

“Well, it seems the original test was correct.” Bentwood looked up at Hermione. “Congratulations, Lady Ravenclaw. We have been looking for you for a very long time.”

“I don’t understand,” Harry cried. “My lineage tree and inheritance test both had a date of death for Lily Potter.”

The goblin snapped his fingers and a moment later a piece of parchment appeared on his desk. He read it over before looking back up. “The date of birth would have been established at the blood adoption for both Lily Evans and Hermione Granger if the original date of birth was unknown. But the D did in fact not stand for death but de-aged. We automatically assume the D stands for death and do not typically look into it unless asked.”

“I believe,” Nick said, “it is time to look into it.”

“Perhaps, we should also call in Auror Shacklebolt,” Snape suggested. “After all, it seems to me as if at least one crime was committed here.”

The goblin nodded. “Lady Ravenclaw, would you like your adopted parents here as well?”

“I don’t know,” Hermione cried. “Surely they aren’t involved in this? Do you think?”

“Perhaps it would be best to not involve them for now,” Nelly said, the voice of reason. “Someone has been de-aging Lady Ravenclaw since 1960. We must assume there was a reason for this. I also noticed that Dumbledore was listed as her magical guardian under Lily Evans and Hermione Granger. My guess is, we start with him.”

The goblin nodded. “It would take someone with a lot of magic to De-age a person  _ and  _ perform a blood adoption.”

“Is that why Hermione doesn’t look like my mum?” Harry asked.

The goblin nodded. “Yes. It is also the reason the blood wards would have worked on your relatives’ if they hadn’t been broken. Allow me to have some tea brought in while we await Auror Shacklebolt.”

The goblin stepped from his chair and strode from the room, leaving the small group lost in contemplation. A tea tray complete with small sandwiches appeared, and Nelly set to fixing tea for everyone. Harry watched Hermione carefully as she took a sip of her tea. He saw the stricken look cross her face and just barely grabbed her cup before it fell from her hands. He passed the cup to someone and dropped to his knees as Hermione buried her face in his neck and began to cry. Harry felt Neville move beside them and the three friends held each other while Hermione sobbed. Harry and Neville whispered reassurances to her as they ran soothing hands over her hair and back. Eventually, Hermione pulled back slightly, and Harry took the handkerchief someone held out and dabbed at Hermione’s eyes.

“Hush. It’ll be okay,” he told her. “You’ll see.”

She gave a small hiccup sob. “I just… I don’t even know who I am anymore.”

Harry pressed a kiss to her forehead. “What was it you told me? You’re still you, and you aren’t going to be any less you. And we certainly aren’t going to like you any less.”

“Although,” Neville said in a softly teasing tone. “Now you can ground Harry if he starts acting up.”

Hermione let out a watery chuckle as Harry stuck his tongue out at his friend. “Be nice to your future step-father,” Hermione scolded.

A bright smile lit up Harry’s face, and he pumped a fist in the air. “YES!”

“I’m kidding,” Hermione cried, grabbing his arm and pulling Harry back down from where he’d jumped to his feet. “I told you there would never be anything between Neville and I.”

“Aww, man,” Harry pouted. “I was really looking forward to getting my hands on the Longbottom fortune.” Harry turned to Neville. “Come on, Nev. Don’t you want me as your stepson?” Harry fluttered his lashes at his friend.

“No,” Neville deadpanned.

“But… Look. A ready made grandchild to offer your parents.”

“Mr. Potter, sit down,” Snape drawled in a bored tone, and Harry turned to see the man fighting back a smile. Harry grinned at the dark-eyed man and returned to his chair. He patted Hermione’s knee. “Better?”

She gave him a grateful smile and nodded. “I just can’t believe that I used to be your mum. I- Oh!” Hermione turned and threw her arms around Nelly. “Thank you. Thank you, for taking care of Harry and keeping him safe.” She pulled back with a sheepish smile. “That sounds really weird. I mean, I don’t even remember being pregnant or giving birth, but I have gotten to know what a wonderful person he’s grown into, and I know I have you and Mr. Nick to thank for that. Oh,” Hermione whipped her head around, “and you too, Professor Snape. I know you looked after Harry while you were at the school, and I thank you for that. Also…” She bit at her lip for a second, a light blush spreading across her cheeks. “Whatever our falling out was… I’m sorry, and I forgive you.”

Snape made a choking sound and bit his lips together before giving a terse nod. Harry smiled at his friend. She really was an amazing person. Just then the office door opened and Bentwood returned escorting Kingsley Shacklebolt, the tall Auror almost making the goblin look elf-sized. Another chair appeared on the opposite side of Nick and Kingsley settled into it.

“I have already caught Auror Shacklebolt up on the day’s events,” Bentwood said as he handed over both parchments to the Auror.

Kingsley took the documents with a nod. “My partner is seeing to a few things and will join us later if she finishes.”

“Mr. Shacklebolt,” Hermione said tentatively and the man turned to smile gently at her.

“Yes, Ms. Granger,” a smile tugged at his lips at the oft-repeated phrase from the previous year.

Hermione too caught the joke and gave a small smile. “Do you have any idea why someone would do this?”

Shacklebolt looked down at the parchments in his hand for several minutes before he sighed and looked back up at her. “I’m going to be straight with you, Lady Ravenclaw. I firmly believe Albus Dumbledore is behind this. I am not sure how much you know about his past, but after his defeat of Grindelwald, Dumbledore was offered the position as Minister of Magic. He says he turned it down because he knew that kind of power could corrupt him. But I believe he had an ulterior motive. You see, the Minister is only the minister for so long, but everyone knows the headmaster or headmistress of Hogwarts is practically a lifetime position. Imagine how much power you could wield if you were the one in charge of seeing to the next generation’s education. I think Albus realized that being headmaster would give him much more power than one or two terms as minister.”

“But what has that got to do with Hermione?” Harry asked.

Kingsley tapped the parchment in his hand. “See here. Where it says Headmistress of Hogwarts (Abeyance). You see, when the school was founded, in order to stay true to the Founder’s ideals it was stated that every other head of the school would be an heir of the original Founders. I believe Armando Dippet started hinting about his retirement in the late 1950s and Dumbledore started plotting his… takeover, if you will. He had to get the Ravenclaw heir out of the way but he couldn’t kill her since the Head would simply fall to the next line, which would have been Fleamont Potter, I believe. But, if the Ravenclaw heir was  _ lost _ , the Head would fall in abeyance.” He waved the parchment slightly to indicate the words there. “In the absence of the actual Headmistress, he could take on the post himself.”

“So, he’s not  _ really _ the headmaster then?” Neville asked and Kingsley shook his head.

“Wait,” Harry cried. “So he did all this just so he could be the headmaster?”

“Ah, but the headmaster is a very powerful position, Mr. Potter,” Kingsley repeated. “Many people rely on his judgement and guidance. He is seen as a wise man, practically all knowing.”

Just then there was a knock on the door and the group turned to watch as it opened and Auror Tonks stepped in. She gave a bright smile to the group and held up a file. “Found it.” She moved forward and held the file out. “Lord and Lady Ravenclaw were found deceased the first of January 1961. The Aurors were unable to locate their twenty-five year old daughter who had been teaching Astronomy at Hogwarts in preparation to becoming the next headmistress. All of her things were still in her quarters at the school. Lord and Lady Ravenclaw’s deaths were labeled murder though no one was ever convicted of the crime.”

“It seems to me,” Bentwood spoke up, “the first thing that should be done is test Lady Ravenclaw for charms and bindings.”

Kingsley nodded as he slipped the parchments in the Ravenclaw file. “I agree. Are you a certified spell tester?”

Bentwood nodded. “Yes. It won’t take but a moment to prepare the parchment.” The goblin reached into his desk and pulled out a piece of light blue parchment. He ran his fingers over the paper while mumbling in Gobbledygook. After several minutes he placed the paper on the desk and slid it towards Hermione. “One more time, Lady Ravenclaw. Only this time, I will need you to place your palm directly in the center of the paper and do not move until the green glow has faded.

Hermione nodded and stood up. Harry watched as she did as she had been instructed. Almost as soon as her palm met the paper it began to glow a soft yellow and darkened until it was a deep green. It took several minutes for the test to be complete, and Hermione practically fell back in the chair.

The goblin grabbed a quill and scribbled his signature at the top of the page before handing it to Kingsley. Kingsley took a moment to read over the parchment, Tonks reading over his shoulder. “It’s definitely Albus Dumbledore’s magical signature on these spells. There’s a large memory spell which is probably blocking the memories of your past lives, so to say. A minor binding spell on your magic, most likely to keep your accidental magics under control as a child. Nothing too serious but enough, especially if your adopted parents testify they did not ask him to place these bindings on you. It’s illegal to place binding spells on a minor without the parents’ permission, and these spells have been in place a lot longer than the six months or so since your birthday.”

“I assume you’re going to be charging him with  _ something, _ ” Hermione said and Kingsley nodded. “Good. I’d also like to charge him with kidnapping.” Kingsley gave a small start. “James and Lil-  _ I _ \- made Sirius Harry’s godfather, and Dumbledore took him to Petunia instead of where he should have gone.”

Kingsley blinked in surprise at Hermione’s words while Harry bit back a chuckle. He heard a soft snort and turned to see Snape smirking once again. Snape caught Harry looking at him.

“I never realized how much like Lily she was,” he whispered to Harry.

“And I’m sure I’ll find a few other things to charge him with as well,” Hermione said, a hard note in her voice. “Just as soon as I find out who my account manager is and talk to them.”

“I believe that would be Crosshatch, Lady Ravenclaw. He is one of our top accountants, so I imagine you will find your accounts in excellent order. Shall I call him down?”

“No,” Hermione said, shaking her head. “I will owl him in a few days to set up an appointment. I’ve had a little too much thrown at me today.”

“Why don’t you set the appointment for the same day as Harry’s,” Nelly suggested. “We’ll be here anyway and it’ll be one less thing to worry over.”

Hermione nodded and turned back to Bentwood. “Would that be alright?”

The goblin gave a nod. “Lord Potter, when were you coming in for your inheritance?” 

“The third at ten a.m. is what I believe the letter said.”

Bentwood made a notation as he nodded. “Very well. I will inform Crosshatch to expect Lady Ravenclaw at that time as well. He will be very pleased to meet you, I am sure. You can also set up an appointment to get these bindings removed. It’s a delicate procedure, especially the memory block. But it will unlock all your previous memories.”

Hermione gave a stern nod. “Then I want to do it.”

Bentwood nodded and made another notation. “I will see he is notified, and we will see you then, Lady Ravenclaw. Lord Potter.”

“Excellent,” Nick said. “If you have no more need of us at this time, I had best get everyone home. I think we could all use a nap or something.” Nick stood and the others followed suit. He turned to the Auror. “Kingsley, Hermione is staying at the island the rest of the summer, so if you need to get in touch with her you can find her there.”

Kingsley nodded his agreement and they said their goodbyes, leaving the Auror and goblin to go over the information and decide on their next step. As they made their way to the Floo, Harry realized he was exhausted and thought a nap sounded excellent. He hoped his friends agreed.

 

“Are you still going to be my friend when you get your memories back?” Harry asked the following evening as they sat around the bonfire roasting marshmallows.

A thoughtful looked crossed Hermione’s face. “I think you’ll still be more like a friend than a son. I mean, I expect I’ll have some motherly thoughts towards you, but you’ve been my friend longer than you were my son. I really don’t know what to expect. Will I even need to finish school? I mean, I know Lily took her N.E.W.Ts, and I assume Kathleen did as well.”

“Maybe you could be our new Defense teacher,” Neville said with a teasing smile.

The three friends looked up as a shadow blocked out the setting sun, and Harry felt his breath catch at the sight of Snape standing there. He really was quite handsome.

“Sir,” Hermione said.

“May I join you?”

“Of course,” Hermione assured him, and Harry moved over to allow the older man to share the blanket beneath him. Snape lowered himself to the plaid blanket, and Harry watched as he elegantly folded his legs under him.

“There was something I wanted to explain to you before you regained your memories.”

Disappointment swept through Harry. “Oh. Should Neville and I leave?”

Snape pressed a hand to Harry’s knee. “No. Please, stay. Some of this pertains to you.” Snape looked uncomfortable for a moment before taking a deep breath. “There is no easy way to say this, and I hope you will both listen to what I have to say before you judge me too harshly. Lily will remember I did not have a very happy childhood. My father was a drunk, and he hated anything magic. Hogwarts was to be my refuge, but that didn’t happen. Even in my own house I was isolated and disliked until people began to realize I was above average with potions and inventing spells. I didn’t realize it at the time, but several of the upper years were already grooming me to join the Dark Lord. My argument with Lily, which I have deeply regretted to this day, was the final straw, as the saying goes. After our friendship ended, I had no one to talk sense into me and allowed myself to fall deeper into the web of darkness. In short, it took only a few promises of protection and power to join the Death Eaters after I left school.”  Harry wanted to deny that such a good-hearted person like Snape would be a part of something so horrid. “Of course, it didn’t take long for me to realize what an evil person the Dark Lord was, and I began to look for a way out. But it was not easy to leave Voldemort’s service. Eventually I learned that Voldemort was going after the Potters, and I went to beg Dumbledore to protect them. In return I vowed to turn spy. At the time, Dumbledore hinted that Voldemort wasn’t truly gone. I should have known then that he wasn’t telling me something, but I was too distraught over the death of my dearest friend. The reason I am telling you this is so that when you regain your memories you will understand- I  _ hope  _ you will understand that I have done all within my power to atone for my mistakes and to keep Harry safe.”

Hermione reached across Harry and patted Snape’s knee. “I don’t doubt it, sir. I know you have done a lot to help Harry and many others over the years. I doubt there is anything you could have done short of killing Harry or his father that I couldn’t forgive.”

Snape gave her a wry smile. “There were times I would have liked to, but I always refrained. And, please, I suppose I should give you permission to call me Severus. You spent your previous life referring to me as such.” Snape turned to Harry and gave a nod. “You and Mr. Longbottom as well.”

Harry felt warmth fill his chest but bit back the beaming smile. “Thank you… Severus. And it’s ‘Harry’.”

“Neville,” Neville replied with a nod.

Hermione let out a sigh. “I’m not even sure what name I prefer.”

Harry patted Hermione’s knee. “You’ll figure it out. And we’ll call you whatever you wish.”

“You realize you are officially Lady Ravenclaw,” Sn-  _ Severus  _ said. “You have every right to ask people to call you Lady Ravenclaw or Miss Ravenclaw, if you prefer. I imagine you’ll have a lot of decisions to make after this week,” Severus said, referring to their appointments with the goblins in a few days. 

“Will the goblins clean her blood?” Neville asked softly, causing Harry and Hermione to turn to him.

“What?” Hermione said aghast.

“The blood adoptions,” Neville clarified. “They changed a bit of your appearance so you would look more like your muggle parents. You can go back to how Kathleen looked.”

“Just the Granger adoption,” Severus put it. “Albus would have had to clean her blood from the first adoption for the second to fully take hold. Too many blood adoptions will muddy the DNA.”

“Is that a decision I have to make before I go in?”

Severus shook his head. “No. It’s a complete different set of spells, so you can do that whenever.”

Hermione nodded and stared into the fire. Harry glanced over at Severus to see him watching Hermione and he reached up to run a hand down the man’s arm. Severus turned his gaze on Harry.

“Thank you,” Harry said softly. “Will you be there for her after the procedure?”

Severus looked intently into Harry’s eyes. “I will be there, though I am unsure of my reception.”

Harry squeezed the man’s arm warmly. “Regardless of who she was, she is still Hermione. You already have her forgiveness, and that won’t change.”

Severus’s dark eyes darted over Harry’s face. “She’s going to be proud of you.”

Harry felt his cheeks burning and turned to stare out across the ocean, not sure what to say.

 

Harry sat in a plush maroon chair chewing on his thumb, his leg bouncing rapidly. He glanced nervously at the closed door across the hall where Hermione was meeting with her account manager and the goblin healers. His own meeting had ended nearly an hour ago and he had come directly here. There hadn’t been very many surprises. He had traded both heir vault keys for the keys to the lordship vaults, though he had never done more than glance in the Gryffindor heir vault, and he’d finally been allowed to officially don the Potter and Gryffindor Lordship rings. They went over his duties as half owner of Hogwarts, trustee member, and Wizengamot member. He was surprised to learn his grandfather had a few muggle investments as well as muggle accounts that had been sitting for many years. There was a Potter Manor as well as the Gryffindor Manor, both of which had been kept up by a coterie of house elves. Harry decided to leave them as they were until he finished his last year of schooling, then he would visit them and ascertain what to do with them. Once they had finished, Harry thanked his manager and went to join the others waiting for Hermione. 

Harry jumped to his feet and began pacing the long hallway. Nick and Nelly sat side by side in similar chairs to the one Harry had just abandoned, while Neville sat beside them, lost in thought, head resting back against the wall. Severus sat stoically staring at the wall across from him, and the Grangers sat huddled together next to the door. Remus was sitting on the other side of Nelly with Padfoot laying at his feet, a mournful doggy sigh coming from him every so often. 

The door opened, and they all immediately jumped to attention. They watched as a woman with flowing black hair and vivid green eyes stepped out. She was beautiful, but she was still Hermione. Harry could see it in the wide-set eyes, the slightly too-large front teeth, and the prominent, high cheekbones. She was slightly taller now and carried herself with an almost regal confidence. Her green eyes landed on Harry, and she let out a small cry before rushing over to him and enveloping him into a hug.

“Oh, my sweet baby.” She hugged him tightly, and Harry’s breath caught at the maternal action. “Oh, Harry. I’m so, so sorry.” She pulled back and cupped his face in her palms. “Look at you. So much like your father. Not as reckless though, are you? A bit more of a head on your shoulders than he had.” She pulled him in for another hug. “I promise we will talk. I will tell you whatever you need to know, love. There are things in my vault that belonged to your father I think he would have liked for you to have.” She pulled back once more and pressed a kiss to Harry’s forehead before pulling away. She turned to the Grangers and wrapped them both in a hug.

“Thank you, for taking care of me and raising me. You were both wonderful parents. I am sorry you were dragged into this.” She placed a hand on Mrs. Granger’s shoulder. “Don’t worry, your daughter is still in here, and I’ll never forget you.” At their nod, Hermione/Kathleen turned and made her way over to Nick and Nelly. “Thank you for taking care of Harry. Thank you for saving him.” She pulled Nick and then Nelly into hugs. Harry watched her whisper something to Nelly causing the woman to nod and reach up to wipe at her eyes when they pulled away. Hermione/Kathleen moved over to give Remus a hug then turned to Sirius. She gave the animagus a hug then stepped back and slapped him.

“You always were a hot headed idiot, Sirius Orion Black. I can’t believe you went after Peter instead of taking care of my son.” Harry bit back the laughter as they listened to Hermione go off on the man for a good five minutes about his duty to her and James and Harry. Finally she wrapped him in a hug. “But I still love you, and I’m sorry you had to go to that awful place.”

She stepped back from Sirius and turned to Neville, giving him a smile and a wink. “I’m still not marrying you.”

Neville laughed and hugged her. “Well thank Merlin for that.”

She pulled back and stepped over to Severus. She reached a hand up to press her palm against his cheek. “Ah, Severus. My dear friend.” Harry saw the man swallow thickly. “What can I say? I should have been a better friend. We were so naive, had so much to learn. I do forgive you, and I’m glad you were able to get out of that lifestyle. And now,” she smiled proudly at him. “Now, you’re the famous potions master you always wanted to be.” She leaned in and kissed his cheek. “And thank you for watching over Harry, Sev. Even if you were a jerk in the beginning,” she teased him. He opened his mouth to say something but she placed a finger over his lips. “Hush. It’s in the past. We have more important things to deal with right now.” She whirled to face Nick. “Sir Nicholas, please see my parents home and meet me at the ministry.” She reached into her robe and pulled out her wand. She eyed it for a moment. “Strange yet familiar at the same time,” she mumbled before giving it a small wave. Harry gasped and jerked back as her appearance changed into the Lily Evans Potter of the picture on Harry’s mantel. He stumbled into someone and a hand settled on his waist to steady him. The softly gasped “Lily” told Harry it was Severus that was holding him. 

Hermione/Lily wrapped a hand around Harry’s wrist and placed the other on Severus’s shoulder. “Come on, Sev. You’ll want to see this.” 

A moment later Harry felt the familiar pull of Apparition before they landed on pavement. “I thought you couldn’t Apparate inside Gringotts,” Harry said as Hermione/Lily began to stalk down the sidewalk.

“It is a privilege allowed to the True Heirs. You’ll find you can as well now that you hold the Gryffindor ring.” She indicated Harry’s right hand with her own, and for the first time he caught sight of the sapphire-inlaid ring she now wore. “You will also be allowed to Apparate within Hogwarts. Here we are.” They stopped and Harry finally looked around at the vaguely familiar neighborhood. He looked up at the house they had stopped at, and flashes of Harry’s childhood spun in his head. Harry felt his chest closing in on him, and he struggled for breath.

“Harry.” Strong hands wrapped around his upper arms to steady him.

“Harry. Breathe, love.” Harry focused on the soft voice and focused on his mother’s emerald green eyes. She smiled gently at him. “It’s okay, love. I won’t let her hurt you. Come on.”

She turned and strode up the sidewalk, Severus urging Harry gently after her. Hermione/Lily knocked firmly on the door. It was pulled open by a rotund boy that might have been Harry’s age. Hermione/Lily smiled politely at him.

“Hello, Dudley. Is your mother home?”

Dudley furrowed his brows at her and nodded. “Er, yeah. She’s in the kitchen.”

“Excellent,” Hermione/Lily said as she pushed past him. 

“Oi!” the boy cried as Harry and Severus followed her. “Freak?” Dudley said confused as Harry passed him.

Lily stopped at the small door that led to the cupboard under the stairs and glared at it. She pulled her wand and blasted the small cupboard apart. Heavy steps came hurrying from the sitting room and lighter steps came from the kitchen.

“Dudders, what happened? Are you-” The tall, horse-faced woman that appeared in the kitchen doorway froze at the sight of Lily. Her eyes went wider than should have been possible and her complexion went pale. Lily stalked down the hall and the slap that connected her hand to the pale cheek rang out around them.

“You jealous, spiteful,  _ bitch! _ ” Lily spat out. “You couldn’t even see past your own bitterness to take care of a child. An innocent babe. I had thought the love you once felt for me would at least allow you to take care of my child.”

“But, you’re dead,” Petunia finally gasped out. 

“NO,” Lily spat out harshly. “I was put under a spell. But that doesn’t give you the right to treat a child the way you treated Harry. I’m glad Mother isn’t alive to see the horrid person you turned out to be. She would be utterly ashamed of how you’ve acted. Father would be devastated; you know how he valued family. I’m just thankful Nick and Nelly found Harry before you did irreparable damage. But don’t worry; we’re completely out of your life now.” Lily turned to the obese man standing in the sitting room doorway and gave a malicious smile. “Harry came into his inheritance today, Vernon. Two vast estates and enough money to last ten lifetimes. He would have shared, given you anything you wanted, if you had only treated him like the child he was. Loved him.” Finally, Lily turned to Dudley and shook her head sadly. “You poor boy. You will never understand the disservice your parents have done you. I do hope you never fall in love with a witch. I imagine your parents would disown you if you did, nevermind how they would treat any child of yours that happened to be magical. I hope you can learn to grow past the prejudices your parents have instilled in you.” Lily turned and stepped over the rubbish from the cupboard. “Come along, Harry. Severus. We have an old man to arrest for murder.”

She placed a hand on each of their shoulders, and, once again, Harry felt the familiar pull of Apparition. This time they landed in the atrium of the ministry. The redness seemed to melt from Lily’s hair as she once again took on her new, normal appearance. Nick, Nelly, Sirius, Remus, and Neville raced over as soon as they spotted the returning trio.

“Hermione, what’s going on? Where did you go?” Neville asked as they neared them.

“I needed a word with my darling sister,” Hermione/Kathleen sneered. “And now it’s time Albus Dumbledore got his just desserts.” She gave a sniff and headed towards the nearest lift. As soon as the small group commandeered a lift she began to speak. “I remember everything. He was there that night. He said he couldn’t allow me to take over as headmistress, he had plans for the next generation and couldn’t allow me to interfere.” She blinked her eyes rapidly even as a tear slid from her eye. Harry moved over and wrapped his arms around her. “Of course he didn’t use Avada, he needed to keep his soul intact. He poisoned them. Forced a vial of something down their throats while I watched, petrified and unable to do anything. The only mercy he showed them was to inform them that he had no intention of killing me. That he would place me with a good family, and I would be taken care of. The  _ bastard!”  _ she spat out as the lift came to a halt. She immediately composed herself as the doors slid open.

The small group stepped out into the corridor of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement and headed down the corridor to the Auror Division. Hermione/Kathleen pushed the door open, and several heads popped up as they entered. Harry noticed Neville’s dad stand up from a desk in the back and move forward. 

“Magical Merlin and Sweet Circe,” an old wizard gasped. “M-Miss Ravenclaw.” Harry notice the man bring a tissue to his eye as they passed. Hermione gave a sharp rap on the door labeled Head Auror. It was pulled open by a man with guinea gold hair and bushy eyebrows. He blinked owlishly behind his wire-rimmed spectacles at the group outside his office.

“Might I help you?” he asked tersely.

“Auror Scrimgeour, my name is Hermione Granger, previously Lily Evans Potter, previously Kathleen Ravenclaw, and I would like to charge Albus Dumbledore with the murder of my parents, Simeon and Eleanora Ravenclaw. I suggest contacting Aurors Shacklebolt and Tonks as I believe they have been investigating the headmaster for some time.”

The man immediately stepped aside and motioned for them to enter. As soon as they had he stepped out of his office. “This office is officially on lockdown,” he said firmly. “If I find out a single person has spoken of the words Lady Ravenclaw just said before I give you leave you will find yourself on night patrol. Carson, fetch Kingsley and Tonks from the evidence room. This takes precedence.”

He stepped back into the room and closed the door behind him. A moment later it opened again and Frank Longbottom stepped in. He moved over to stand beside Neville and not even Scrimgeour spoke out at his audacity. The head Auror looked over the gathered group.

“I suppose we had all best get comfortable.” He waved his wand and the room filled with chairs. “Lady Ravenclaw, it is a pleasure to meet you. Please have a seat here.” He indicated the chair closest to his desk. “Mr. Potter, welcome. You may have a seat next to…” the man faltered for a bit. “Your mother, it seems. Sir Nicholas, Madam Flamel. I must say it is a surprise to see you. I’m not sure where you fit into all this.”

“We are Harry’s magical guardians,” Nelly spoke up. “We have had custody of him since he was eight.”

“Oh,” the man blinked in surprise. “I see. And Mr. Black, you are Harry’s godfather, correct?” Sirius nodded, and Scrimgeour glanced over Remus before moving on. “Mr. Longbottom.”

“I was there when we ran the initial test on Hermione Granger and discovered who she was.”

Scrimgeour nodded and finally turned to Severus. “Snape. Last I heard you had accepted a strategic position with a research company. How on earth did you end up in this debacle?”

“Emotional support for Lady Ravenclaw whom I knew as Lily Evans. I was also at Gringotts when they ran the tests regarding the spells placed on Lady Ravenclaw.”

Scrimgeour nodded and moved behind his desk. “Very well. If you would all have a seat. Please save the two seats beside Lady Ravenclaw for my Aurors.”

Harry glanced around nervously as the others moved to find chairs. Harry’s stomach gave a small flip as Severus sat in the chair beside his. A moment later the door opened and Shacklebolt and Tonks stepped in, severe expressions on their faces. They moved forward and Shacklebolt handed over a file to Scrimgeour before sitting down beside his partner.

“Lady Ravenclaw, I see you went ahead and had the blood purging done as well.”

Kathleen gave a nod. “Yes, once my memories were returned I decided to revert to my former self. I knew the people that mattered would know me for me.” She glanced over at Harry with a fond smile, and Harry felt his cheeks blush in embarrassment. 

Kingsley nodded. “And I assume since we are gathered here you have recovered pertinent memories.”

“I did. I watched Albus Dumbledore murder my parents.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Duh duh duuuuuhhhhh. Wait! Does that count as a cliffhanger?


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So... I'm a Hufflepuff, revenge isn't really my thing but if you're truly disappointed by my "revenge" on Dumbledore next time I'll let one of my Slytherins write the revenge scene. Hopefully it's not too disappointing. Also, thanks to all you guys who left me such wonderful comments. They really cheer me up. And I'm glad to see my plot twist didn't ruin the fic for you. Anyway, here's the last chapter before the epilogue.

“Harry.” Harry looked up from his book and smiled at the woman that entered his room. He still wasn’t used to seeing Hermione with long, black hair and the same striking eyes as his own. She moved forward and settled on his bed, glancing down at the book he was reading. “That’s not one of your new school books,” she admonished. They hadn’t made it to Diagon Alley until the following day since it was well into the afternoon by the time they had finished at the DMLE. They spent the day purchasing school books, and Hermione had taken the time to get Ravenclaw blue robes made up while Harry had been fitted for his formal Potter and Gryffindor robes.

Harry stuck his tongue out at his friend. “I’ve already read them.” He sighed. “It’s going to be weird not having you there this year.”

“I’ll be there,” she reassured him.

“Fine. It’ll be weird not having you in any of my classes. And it’s not like we can hang out all the time.”

“Sure we can,” Hermione said with a familiar smile. “It’ll be cool to hang out in the Headmistress’s tower rather than the common room.”

“Is it awkward?” Harry asked. “Interacting with me.”

“What do you mean?” she asked, moving to lay on the bed beside him.

“Well, you have twenty-five years worth of memories as Kathleen. You were a teacher, I’m still a student. And then you’re also my mum, but we’ve also been friends for nearly seven years.”

Hermione laid her head on Harry’s shoulder. “There’s a part of me that distantly sees you as my child. Like, I remember the pregnancy, the childbirth- and let me tell you, mister. You and I are going to have words about that.” She let out a chuckle. “But I still see you mostly as my friend. I mean, I already had a sort of sisterly affection for you, but I think knowing you’re my child just sort of made them more maternal. It’s like you said, Harry. I’m still me. When you come to me gushing about how hot and sexy Severus is I’m still going to tell you to use protection.”

“What?” Harry cried, pulling away from Hermione causing her to fall on the bed. She laughed.

“Oh come on, Harry. Even Neville has seen the way you look at Sev. You’ve practically been drooling over him for the last week. I swear if he didn’t spend so much time in Nick’s lab you’d have the man tied to your bed by now.”

“Hermione!” Harry squealed.

“What? Honestly, Harry, I think you two would be good together.”

“But he’s my dad’s age.”

Hermione rolled her eyes as she moved to sit cross-legged on the bed. “Please. My best friend Amelia was engaged to a man thirty years her senior when I was de-aged. And you’re technically an adult even if you do have another year of schooling left.”

“And if I said I wanted to drop out of Hogwarts? Not finish my N.E.W.Ts.”

“As your mother  _ and _ your best friend I’d say you’ll do no such thing, but, logically speaking, it’s not as if you need them. You have plenty of funds and investments as well as your seat on the Wizengamot to keep you busy. But I don’t think it would look good for someone who hasn’t taken their N.E.W.Ts to sit on the Hogwarts board of trustees, especially if that person is Lord  _ Gryffindor _ .”

Harry rolled his eyes. “Fine.”

Hermione smiled brightly at him and slapped his leg. “Good. Now put on your Gryffindor robes. We’re off to Hogwarts.”

“What?” Harry cried as Hermione stood and headed for the door. She paused and glanced over her shoulder at him.

“Lady Ravenclaw would like the help of her dear friend Lord Gryffindor when she goes to meet her new staff.”

“Fine,” Harry sighed as he went to grab the new robes that had been delivered the day before. He took a quick shower before pulling on a clean pair of pants. He had learned quickly that there was no underclothes when it came to formal wear. He had thought it would be uncomfortable, but had been pleasantly surprised at the feel of the silky fabric against his skin. Harry pulled on the crimson robe and admired the gold piping around the edge and the embroidered lions that only showed when the light hit the fabric a certain way. He slipped the ruby and gold ring on his ring finger and the Potter lordship ring went on his thumb. Both rings automatically resized as he slipped them on so they wouldn’t fall off accidentally. He stepped into his black dragonhide boots and grabbed his wand before heading out of his room. 

He assumed Hermione would meet him down in the parlor so headed down the stairs. He bumped into Severus as he rounded the corner and the men grabbed onto each other to steady the other.

“Pardon me, Harry, I-” the words died on Severus’s lips as he took in Harry’s formal robes. Harry saw the man’s cheeks pinken and felt his own blush rising. “A-are you going somewhere?”

Harry had to wet his lips before he could speak. “Er, yes. Hermione asked me to go with her to support her claim on the head seat.”

Severus gave a nod. “Good luck.”

“Thank you, Sev. I appreciate it.” Both men jerked away and turned to see Hermione coming down the stairs. Harry had to admit she looked quite lovely with her long hair pulled back in a braid and her deep blue robes. He could just make out the small, silver eagles that acted as clasps and matched her own silver piping. Harry smiled up at his friend.

“Prettiest Headmistress I’ve ever seen,” Harry told her.

She smacked Harry on the arm as she passed him and pressed a kiss to Severus’s cheek. Severus no longer seemed to flinch from the gesture as he had done the first few times she had greeted him thus. “Will you be here for dinner?”

Severus gave a nod. “I will. Nicholas and I are close to a breakthrough so we hesitate to stop.”

“Just make sure you stop long enough to eat. Come along, Harry.”

Harry rolled his eyes at Hermione’s back and went to follow her after a quick wave to Severus. “So why are we going to the school today? I mean, why not next week or something?”

“Scrimgeour has been able to keep it out of the papers for now, but no doubt it won’t be long before news gets out. He arrested Dumbledore this morning, and I’ve no doubt the teachers are at a loss. The sooner I step in and take control the better for them all. The staff should all be present since they are required to return to school the second week of August in preparation for the coming term,” Hermione explained as they stepped out the parlor door to the designated Apparating area. “Meet me in the courtyard.” She held up her hand and tapped the ring on her finger. “Remember, we can Apparate inside Hogwarts now.”

Harry nodded and she turned on her heels in a quiet Disapparition. Harry followed a moment later. They landed in the familiar courtyard, and Harry felt a strong sense of  _ home. _ He stepped back in surprise and Hermione turned to him with a smile. 

“Amazing, isn’t it? That feeling of belonging finally explained.” Harry nodded and motioned to the large doors. 

“After you, my lady.”

They strode up to the ancient doors which opened at their approach. Harry followed a step behind Hermione as she led the way to the staff room on the second floor. They could hear frantic chattering as they neared the room.

“I knew something horrid was about to happen,” Harry recognized Trelawney’s voice. “But my sight was blocked.”

“Are you going to take over the position, Minerva?” A female asked.

“I don’t know, Aurora. The board will meet tomorrow to decide what to do.”

“Have they been informed?” Flitwick spoke up.

“What will we tell the children?” Sprout wailed.

Hermione shared a look with Harry before taking a deep breath and pushing the door open. Harry recognized the majority of the people present, but there were a few he had only ever seen around the school on occasion. He saw McGonagall and a few others pale.

The transfiguration teacher finally let out a gasp. “Kathleen!”

Hermione smiled softly at the woman. “Hello, Minnie.” She turned her attention to the others in the room. “Please. Have a seat, everyone, and I will explain.” No one moved until McGonagall herself settled in the chair next to the one situated at the head of the table. After that everyone else quickly fell into place. Hermione smiled benevolently at the gathered staff. “I am Lady Kathleen Ravenclaw, rightful headmistress of Hogwarts, and this is my dear friend Lord Harry Potter Gryffindor.” Harry bit back the smile at the gasps that came from around the room. “I understand that Albus Dumbledore’s arrest has come as a shock to you, but I am here to tell you that he will not be getting out of this one and will not be returning to Hogwarts. You see, I watched him kill my parents New Year’s Eve, 1960.” She waited for the gasps and denials to calm down. “He coveted the position of headmaster so that he might have some measure of control over the next generations. Due to a codicil created at the founding of the school, an heir of the original founders is to hold the headship after each alternating head. When Headmaster Dippet began to plan his retirement, I was already here teaching at the school in preparation to take over. If I had died, the head would have fallen to the Gryffindor line, so to keep that from occurring upon my death Albus simply De-aged me and took my rightful spot. He placed me with a muggle family to hide my magical presence from the DMLE knowing they would be watching for it. I returned to Hogwarts as Lily Evans.” Another round of gasps and cries. “You are all aware of what supposedly happened the night Voldemort came to kill Harry.” Hermione gave him a sympathetic look at having to go over the story once more, but Harry didn’t think he would be as emotional as he’d been a few nights earlier when she had first told him. “James died protecting us, and I did stand in front of Voldemort and beg for my son’s life. Three times the man denied me, enough for the ancient charms I had learned about to activate. Dumbledore found me unconscious, though not dead, and once again De-aged me. After placing Harry with my abusive, magic-hating sister, he once again placed me with a muggle couple. I returned to Hogwarts once more as Hermione Granger.” Harry was honestly getting tired of all the gasps and cries of “ _ impossible! _ ” “This summer, while staying with Harry: he, Neville Longbottom, and I decided to run a Holdings test for fun. As you can probably guess mine did not turn out exactly how I expected. My identity was confirmed by the goblins at Gringotts, the spells were removed, and I allowed them to cleanse my blood, hence my return as Kathleen.” She indicated her changed appearance. “The reason I am telling you this is so that you may understand what is going on. Hermione Granger, obviously, will not be returning for her seventh year, so we will need to decide on a new Head Girl. I don’t plan on making any radical changes at this time, but I would like to know where any of you feel changes are needed. Minerva, if you are amenable, I would like you to stay on as my Deputy.”

“Of course, Kathleen, er Miss Granger.”

Hermione chuckled. “Please, refer to me by whichever name you prefer. I promise I answer to them all.”

“Just great,” Sprout mumbled. “The school’s being run by two Gryffindors. We’ll never win the house cup now.”

“But she’s a Ravenclaw,” Flitwick spouted.

“Oh no,” Sprout said, waving her hand. “Even as Kathleen she sorted Gryffindor. I guess some things don’t change.”

Hermione laughed. “I promise, Pomona, I will be as fair as any Ravenclaw. Now,” Hermione said, finally sitting down. “I won’t be moving into the castle until the day after tomorrow as I want to give the elves plenty of time to clear Albus’s things out of my quarters, but Harry and I will be here tomorrow for the board meeting.” Harry groaned as he lowered himself into the chair beside Hermione. He hadn’t really wanted to play Lord Gryffindor so soon. Hermione gave him a knowing smile and turned back to the staff. “So for now, I would like everyone to introduce themselves because there are a few names I do not know. Then I will allow you to ask questions, and we will decide what is acceptable to share with the children.”

Harry sat back with a smile. Headmistress looked good on Hermione. 

 

“You seem to be missing a sidekick, Potter.” Harry looked over at the snotty tone that could only belong to one person and rolled his eyes.

“Malfoy. I see they let you out of your cage once more.”

The blond sneered from the doorway of the prefect’s cabin and eyed Harry’s robes. “No Head Boy badge and no Granger. Whatever will you do this year?”

“Probably kick your arse at Quidditch,” Ginny Weasley mumbled from the other side of Colin Creevey. Malfoy turned to sneer at her, but before he could say anything the cabin door opened and Madam Hooch stepped in. 

“Sit down, Mr. Malfoy,” she commanded as she moved into the cabin. “Alright, prefects. Allow me to introduce your Head Girl and Boy this year. Head Girl is Hannah Abbott of Hufflepuff. Head Boy is Anthony Goldstein of Ravenclaw. I expect you to treat them with the same respect you would a professor. Now, many of you may have heard the unfortunate news of Albus Dumbledore’s arrest over the summer. He has been removed as Headmaster and a new head has taken over. You will be introduced to the headmistress along with the rest of the school this evening at the feast. I expect you all to be mature about this summer’s incident. We do perpetuate nor spread rumors. It is not your job to discuss theories or speculate on what has happened. The school’s official stance is ‘No Comment.’ Is that understood?” The group of prefects nodded. “Good. Now, most of you are familiar with your duties as prefects, but for this year’s fifth year and new prefects, I will go over your duties and privileges.”  Harry sat back and listened to the usual speech, watching the scenery pass by.

“And, finally, this year’s password to the prefect’s bathroom is Lemon grass. Please remember there are other prefects that might like to use the bathroom so be respectful. Don’t forget to make rounds of the train. You are dismissed. Goldstein, Abbott, Gryffindor, a moment more.”

Everyone else save the two mentioned as well as the Gryffindors slowly began to rise and make their way to the door, casting suspicious looks at the remaining students. Hooch pulled a file from the inside pocket of her cloak and looked up. She blinked for a moment. “Oh. No. Sorry. I meant Lord Gryffindor. Not the entire house. The rest of you skedaddle.” She made a shooing motion as Harry’s housemates stood up.

“What?” Malfoy squeaked. He pointed at Harry. “He can’t possibly be Lord Gryffindor.”

Harry smiled smugly at the blond and held up his finger where the ruby and gold ring was proudly displayed. “Sorry to disappoint, Malfoy.”

Harry turned back to Hooch as she pressed the file at him. “The headmistress asked me to give you this. They are the proposed changes for next year. She’d like your opinion before taking it before the school board. She told me to tell you specifically that she expects you to have read through it before you visit her this evening.”

Harry took the file and rolled his eyes. “Sometimes I swear she acts more like my mother than my friend. I’ll have to remind her she didn’t raise me.”

“Oh, yes,” Hooch deadpanned. “Press that knife in deeper, Harry. I’m sure she’ll enjoy it.”

Harry gave the flying instructor a bright smile. “She knows I love her.” Hooch made another shooing wave with her hand, and Harry left the cabin with a small chuckle. He ignored the fuming Malfoy and gaping students as the gossip made its way through the train. He slipped into the cabin with Neville and settled down next to him.

“How’d it go?” Neville asked, looking up from his book.

“About like we expected,” Harry said, pulling the file open.

“What’s that?” Neville looked over and began reading the list of proposed courses for the next school year. “Ooh. that’s a good idea,” Neville said pointing to the Introductory to Latin curriculum.

“Possibly. But shouldn’t we wait to offer that to third years? We don’t really need first and second years inventing spells and Summoning demons or something.”

Neville laughed. “True. Here.” He handed Harry the self-inking quill he had been using and Harry made the notation next to the course name. They spent the rest of the train ride going over the suggested curriculum and making notes. 

It was apparent the news of Harry’s lordship had made its way through the student body by the time they disembarked. Dean and Seamus climbed up in the carriage beside Harry and Neville and began bombarding him with questions. Harry was relieved when they finally reached the castle, and he quickly stepped from the carriage. Neville followed him into the castle, and they settled down at the Gryffindor table as the rest of the school filed in. McGonagall led in the first years, and they watched the sorting excitedly. When the last student was sorted, McGonagall stood before the students.

“Before we begin our feast, there is one last piece of business I must address. Many of you are aware that Albus Dumbledore was recently removed as headmaster from the school. I would like to take this time to introduce our new Headmistress: Lady Kathleen Ravenclaw.”

Harry and Neville clapped loudly as Hermione stood from her place at the staff table. She wore simple blue robes with her hair pulled back in her typical braid. She gave a simple but elegant nod.

“Bit young to be headmistress, isn’t she?” Seamus said. “She can’t be much older than us.”

Harry and Neville exchanged smiles. “She’s older than she looks,” Harry said cryptically as the clapping died down.

“Thank you all for such a warm welcome,” Hermione said, her voice ringing out across the Great Hall. “I would like to take this time to welcome you all to Hogwarts and reassure you that nothing dramatic has changed at this time. While I do plan on implementing some new classes and such over the next few years, I hope to do so in a seamless and positive way. In the meantime, please remember that the forbidden forest is off limits unless escorted by a professor. There is a list of contraband items on Mr. Filch’s door, and there are to be no curses in the corridors. Please enjoy this lovely meal that our resident house elves have provided, and be prepared for classes in the morning.” She gave another bright smile and sat down as the food appeared. 

Harry joined the crowd as they rose to head to their dorms once dinner was over. “You coming?” he asked Neville as they left the Great Hall.

Neville gave him an incredulous look. “And listen to you two discuss curriculums and such? No thanks. I think I’ll go make sure my stuff got here properly. Will you be staying in the dorm?” Neville asked, knowing Harry as Lord Gryffindor actually had a suite of rooms in the castle.

“Yeah. For old time’s sake, you know?”

Neville rolled his eyes. “Whatever. But if I have to hear you moan Severus’s name in your sleep one more time I’m stuffing a pillow down your throat.”

Harry felt his face heat up. “It was one time. And you weren’t supposed to be in my room anyway. I thought you were staying another night at your parents’.”

Neville laughed. “Lesson learned. I’ll see you later,” he said as they reached the gargoyle. 

“Alright. Night.” He waved goodbye at Neville and turned to the Gargoyle. “Gryffindor,” Harry said, using his private password to access the headmistress’s office. The gargoyle moved out of the way, and Harry rode the stairs up to the office. He gave a firm knock before pushing the door open. Hermione looked up from some papers on her desk and smiled when she saw him.

“Harry.” She stood and rounded the desk to wrap him in a hug. “I’ve had the elves deliver tea,” she said, indicating the small sitting area in front of the fireplace where a tea tray sat. She led the way over to the couch. “So how was the train ride?”

“Nothing too exciting,” Harry answered as he watched the teapot pour out the tea. “Malfoy about had an aneurysm when he found out I was Lord Gryffindor, and of course everyone wanted to know where you were. I just told them you weren’t attending classes this year. How have you been? I haven’t seen you in nearly two weeks.”

“It’s been busy,” she said with a sigh. “I swear, some of these teachers can’t make a decision to save their lives. Either that or Albus had them on such a short leash they’re like leaves blowing in the wind now. It’s going to take some time to wean them off my apron strings.”

“Do you think it’s a good idea to start incorporating so many changes so quickly, then?” Harry asked, referring to the list of courses he had looked over on the train.

Hermione nodded. “Yes. I think a good shake-up is just what some of these teachers need.”

Harry laughed. “Because Albus’s betrayal wasn’t enough of a shake-up.”

Hermione slapped his arm. “You know what I mean. Anyway, I take it you looked through the file.”

“Of course. Neville looked it over with me as well, and he pointed out a few things.”

“Good,” Hermione said, settling more comfortably in the couch. “Now, tell me your opinion on adding Saturday electives.”

 

Rumors of what could have happened to Hermione Granger quickly faded to the background with the excitement of catching up with friends and staying caught up with schoolwork. Harry and Neville often found themselves in Hermione’s office working on their essays and reading and keeping Hermione caught up on the gossip. As Christmas neared, Hermione assured them she would be fine. She had plans to visit the Grangers on Boxing Day and looked forward to spending her first Christmas at Hogwarts as the headmistress. The trio exchanged presents the evening before the train left, and Harry and Neville said their goodbyes at the train station. Harry Apparated directly to Fire Island, anxious to see his parents. 

Harry stepped into the parlor and came to a stop at the sight of Severus standing near the fireplace in trousers and a dark blue button-down. Severus blinked at him in surprise.

“Harry. I didn’t realize it was that time already.”

Harry forced his breathing to calm and smiled at the man. “Train just arrived. I came straight here from the station. Where are Nick and Nelly?”

“Lady Flamel is out in her greenhouse, and Sir Nicholas is in a meeting with a business associate. How is school going?” Severus crossed his arms and leaned against the fireplace stretching the fabric of the shirt across his wide shoulders.

“It’s going,” Harry replied, his eyes glued to the impressive form. “I feel like I spend just as much time talking business as I do working on school work,” Harry said with a smile.

He was gratified to see a small smile pull at Severus’s lips. “I take it Lady Ravenclaw is as much a task master as Miss Granger and Lily ever were.”

Harry let out a small chuckle. “Definitely. Although she does have some good ideas.”

“I would love to hear about them sometime. I take it, then, that you won’t be following your father’s path and joining the Aurors?”

Harry moved forward and ran his fingers over the arm of the couch. He noticed Severus’s dark eyes following the movement. “I never intended to become an Auror. I knew after the Flamels adopted me I had responsibilities. Estates to see to and such.”

“So, you’ll be leaving the island,” Severus asked hesitantly.

“No,” Harry answered quickly. “I mean, I’ll need to go visit the estates and see if anything needs to be done, and there are a couple of investments I need to check on, but this is my home. And I intend to stay here for a bit.” A look of relief seemed to wash over the man’s face, and Harry felt his stomach jump a little.

“Harry.” Harry turned at the sound of Nelly’s voice, and he smiled at the sight of her. He crossed the room and wrapped her in a hug.

“Mum. How are you? How’s papa?”

Nelly chuckled. “Calm down. Why don’t you go take your things to your room while I wash up. Dinner should be ready soon.”

“Alright.” Harry pressed a kiss to her cheek before casting a last look at Severus and heading out of the parlor to his room. He pulled the small bag from the pocket of his robe and tossed it to the bed. He shrugged out of his school robes and quickly pulled on clean jeans and a sweater. He checked on his hair and tugged at the wild strands in irritation before heading back out and downstairs. His dad was already in the parlor with Severus by the time Harry made it downstairs and Nelly arrived soon after. Harry met the Indian gentleman who was staying for dinner, and the five of them ate a leisurely meal as Harry talked about some of the changes Hermione was thinking about for the school. Harry was too exhausted and declined the after dinner drinks in favor of an early night. He hoped he’d get to see more of Severus over the holiday. 

Harry did indeed see Severus a few more times over the holiday and soaked up every moment with the man. They spent one evening talking about the experiments Nick and Severus were working on and another evening on Harry’s plans for after school. Harry enjoyed these evenings as they sat by the fire and sipped glasses of wine. Nick had let Harry try a glass of whiskey shortly after his seventeenth birthday, but he hadn’t much cared for the taste so he stuck to the wine he’d been allowed since he was sixteen. More than once Harry had felt the prickle of attraction between them, but Severus always seemed to pull back before anything happened. Harry didn’t force the issue, allowing things to flow at Severus’s pace. At least for now. Once Harry had graduated, he had every intention of pursuing Severus completely.

Harry returned to school and threw himself into studying for his N.E.W.Ts. He and Hermione had to leave the school a few times to meet with the other board members over the next year’s new curriculum and was glad to see they received little resistance to many of their proposed changes. The main resistance came from Malfoy, but Harry quickly reminded him that his son was graduating that year so the changes really didn’t affect him. This made Lucius snap his mouth close, though it didn’t stop the man from glaring at him. Dumbledore finally went to trial in February, and the whole story eventually made its way to the Prophet, including Dumbledore’s many attempts to not only enter Harry’s vaults but others as well. Hermione did not address the issue publicly already having had her say in the courtroom; neither did Harry or Neville, respecting their friend’s right to privacy. 

The three friends celebrated when Neville received an offer of internship at a major herbalogy plantation that specialized in plant experimentation. Harry knew it was a company his dad used often, but he also knew, even with a recommendation from Nicholas Flamel, Neville would have had to earn the internship on his own. None of them had any doubts Neville would accomplish the O in Herbology needed to be fully accepted into the program. Harry immediately wrote to his dad to thank him for bringing Neville to the attention of the company. Harry was surprised that there wasn’t an immediate response from Nick and even more surprised when Nick finally wrote back. He explained his delay in response was due to the fact that he had not spoken to anyone at the company in regards to Neville and had written to a friend at the company to ascertain how they had come across the man’s name. A warmth filled Harry when Nick went on to explain that it had actually been Severus that had spoken on Neville’s behalf. Harry could kiss the man. And had every intention of doing so.

Harry, Hermione and McGonagall spent Easter break going over applications for professors for the new classes. Then it was back to the library with Neville for the rush of studying in the countdown to testing. Harry was eager to finish the testing so he could devote more time to his estates, the school, his study of Parselmagic, and, of course, Severus. The testing committee was at Hogwarts quicker than the students would have liked, and Harry worried about the younger years as death threats were tossed around the library and common rooms like Weasley Whizbangs. At one point the tension grew too intense for Harry, and he and Neville escaped to the Gryffindor quarters for some relaxation time. The quarters were akin to a small flat complete with sitting area, kitchen, bedroom, and loo, all done in tasteful red and gold with small lion statues just bordering on austentatious. Harry had been pleased to find he had a tub nearly the size of the prefects’ tub earlier in the year when he’d looked over the quarters and the two boys spent a good hour playing in the bubbly water in their swim trunks. 

Harry breathed a sigh of relief when he tossed his quill to the desk after his last test. He rubbed at his eyes and glanced around. Neville gave him a smile and winked as he tapped the tip of his quill against the desk. Harry noticed Weasley sweating profusely and rolled his eyes; he still wasn’t sure how the redhead had made it through all seven years. Malfoy was glaring down at the test as if it had somehow offended him, and several other students looked sick as they finished up their Defense Against the Dark Arts test.

As soon as they were released from the testing room Harry and Neville made their way to Harry’s quarters. He made his way across the room and pulled open his cooler to pull out the bottle of wine he had waiting there for him. He poured he and Neville both a glass and handed Neville his before dropping into one of the large chairs in front of the fireplace.

“I am so glad that is finally over,” Harry said. “I think everyone else’s tension was more stressful than the actual tests.”

Neville laughed and took a sip of his wine. “Only because you probably knew most of that stuff back in fifth year. How long are you going to wait to start on your Parselmagic?”

Harry winked at Neville as he held his hand up and wordlessly Summoned the book sitting on his desk across the room. He waved it at Neville pulling another chuckle from the blond. “Merlin, did you see Malfoy? I thought he was going to curse that parchment as hard as he was staring at it.”

Neville snorted. “That was nothing. I wasn’t quite sure which one was sweating more, Weasley or Goyle.” 

Harry laughed. “I’m almost glad Hermione was busy with headmistress duties and didn’t have time to monitor our study habits.”

“Right. Fifth year was bad enough. I imagine she’ll-” Neville’s words were cut off by a firm knock on Harry’s door. Harry shared a look with Neville and stood up.

“You want to get that?”

“No problem,” Neville said, setting his glass on the end table as he stood up. Harry quickly poured out another glass of wine and recorked the bottle just as Neville closed the door. Harry turned and smiled at his friend.

“So?” Hermione demanded.

Harry held out the glass of wine. “Sit down first and relax.” Harry and Neville re-settled themselves back in their seats, and Hermione followed suit with a sigh. 

“Fine. I’m sitting. How did the testing go?”

“Nothing too unexpected,” Harry answered, motioning to her wine glass. She took a sip and he continued. “I thought it was fairly easy but there were a few that struggled. Neville was the first one finished on the Herbology written portion though I’m fairly certain he read over his answers more than once.”

“Hey! More than just a simple grade is relying on that test.”

“Right. Because there’s any way possible you could have failed that test.” Neville shot him two fingers, and Harry gasped. “Not in front of my mother!” He took a sip of his wine. “Besides, that’ll never attract her to you.” Harry ducked the pillow that flew his way, but his glass wasn’t so lucky. He banished the spilled wine and went to pour himself another in his repaired glass.

“Speaking of attraction,” Hermione said as Harry sat back down. “When can I expect grandchildren?”

Harry rolled his eyes. “Please. I haven’t even started wooing the man yet.”

“Please yourself,” Neville said. “The two of you were practically drooling over each other last summer, and then there were those stories you told us about Christmas. You are so clearly head over heels for the man.”

“I have responsibilities to see to first,” Harry said.

“So take a few weeks to look over your estates then come back and shag the man senseless,” Hermione told him.

“Merlin, Hermione. Blunt much?” She waved her glass and rolled her eyes.

“Please. Sev could use a good fuck. He always was a bit high strung.”

“Oh my god!” Harry exclaimed as his face burned with embarrassment. “We are not having this conversation.  _ I _ am not having this conversation with my mother.”

“I am your friend as well.”

“That,” Harry indicated with his wine glass, “was my mother. Only Lily refers to him as Sev.”

“Fine. As the woman that birthed you I urge you to seek a fulfilling and enjoyable relationship with the man you are hopelessly in love with.”

Harry sighed and drank down the rest of his wine. Sometimes his life was too complicated.

 

Harry spent a week on the island before he and Sirius set off to look over Harry’s various properties. He had hoped to see Severus in that time, but the man was off procuring ingredients for their next experiment. Harry convinced himself he was better off waiting until after he had seen to his properties as it wouldn’t be proper to start a relationship with the man only to have to leave a few days later. It didn’t help that he still missed the man.

It took longer at the Gryffindor estate than he had expected. The small castle- because that’s what it truly was- was well kept due to the myriad of elves and the family of caretakers. The family had been the Gryffindor caretakers for centuries and had been rewarded for their services by being allowed to live in the castle rather than the caretaker’s cottage two miles into the nearby forest. Harry met three generations of the caretakers and enjoyed hearing about his ancestral home. He spent quite some time talking to the portrait of the original Godric Gryffindor and sent a letter off to Hermione regarding possible classes to add to the curriculum. After two weeks, Harry and Sirius finally said their goodbyes and headed further south where Potter Manor sat on the coast of Cornwall. 

Potter Manor was in much worse shape than Gryffindor had been, and Harry thought if it hadn’t been for the three loyal house elves, the house would have gone to ruin years earlier. Sirius took Harry on a tour of the house, showing him where his father’s room had been, where Sirius himself had stayed when he lived with the Potters, and the favorite place for the Marauders to hang out. Harry found a portrait of his father around age seven standing proudly beside an elderly couple. Harry knew this place would never be his home, and he also knew Sirius had been hinting at needing to move off the island to find a place of his own, but he hated the idea of returning to Grimmauld Place. Harry’s solution seemed the best for everyone, and Sirius thanked him profusely, promising to look after the Potter estate. The house elves seemed thrilled to finally have someone to care for. Besides, Sirius clearly had fond memories of the place, and there was room even for Lupin to run around if he chose to come live here as well.

Harry returned to Fire Island in time to receive his N.E.W.T grades, not surprised to discover he had once again received all Os. Nelly invited the Longbottoms and Hermione over to celebrate their results and Neville’s official acceptance of his apprenticeship. They met again a few weeks later for Harry and Neville’s birthdays. Since Harry’s birthday fell on a Friday, they decided to meet up for a family celebration on Neville’s birthday then in Diagon Alley on Friday to celebrate with some of their friends from Hogwarts. Hermione didn’t feel comfortable attending the Friday night celebration since some of the people attending were still students, and Harry didn’t blame her. They met up with the twins, Seamus, Dean who had brought Ginny as his date, and a few others they had come to know when the trio were leading the study group. Harry had a good evening with his old classmates and dropped Neville off at his townhouse before Apparating home. He made his way upstairs to his room and quickly pulled his robe off, not bothering to pull pajamas on before making his way to bed. He paused and blinked down at the card and rose on his pillow. His heart skipped a beat as he recognized the scrawling cursive of his name on the cardstock. It had been years since Severus was his teacher, but he’d seen enough of the man’s script on Nick’s notes to still recognize the elegant writing. Harry picked up the rose and sniffed it before gently running the petals over his cheek. His breath caught as he flipped the card open.

_ Saturday, the first of August. Six p.m. Formal robes. I look forward to wishing you a Happy Birthday in private. S.S. _

Harry forgot how to breathe at the realization that Severus had just asked him on a date. He bit back a small squeal but couldn’t stop the smile that spread across his face. He cast a stasis charm over the rose and placed it on his night table next to the lily that had graced his bedside since he’d moved to Fire Island. He placed the folded invitation next to it and lowered himself to his bed. He fell asleep that night with a smile on his lips.

Harry decided against wearing his Potter and Gryffindor robes, opting instead for a set of simple dark green robes Nelly always insisted he looked nice in. He’d hardly been able to concentrate all day, giving up on practicing Parselmagic when he’d botched a lower level spell for the third time and moving out to the greenhouse to help Nelly re-pot some plants. He’d listened to his mum prattle on about something for over an hour before he’d returned to the house to wash up. He attempted to read through his estate reports and answer an owl from one of the board members before giving up completely. He eventually decided on taking a hot bath to calm his nerves and sank into the warm, bubbly water until his skin was nearly waterlogged. He finally turned the shower on to rinse off and washed his hair before stepping from the tub. He pulled on clean pants before shaving away his five o’clock shadow and attempting to tame his hair. He thought about growing it out long enough to pull back and wondered if Severus would like that. Finally, Harry splashed on a bit of aftershave and went to pull his robes on. He bypassed his dragonhide boots and went for the leather oxfords he typically wore when they went out in Paris.

He jumped at the knock on his door and turned as Nelly walked in. She gave him a sentimental smile. “You look so handsome, Harry.”

Harry glanced at himself once more in the mirror and smoothed away the non-existent wrinkles in his robe. “I’ve never been so nervous in my life, mum. I don’t think even the dragons scared me this much.”

She chuckled as she moved forward. She reached up to straighten his collar and patted his cheek. “You’ll be fine, Harry. It’s obvious you and Severus are mostly in love already. The courtship is just a formality.”

Harry nodded, his mouth going dry at her admission. He had assumed by the sight of the rose that Severus was hoping to enter into a formal courtship, but until Nelly had said the words he hadn’t allowed himself to truly believe. Harry licked his suddenly dry lips. “Has he…”

Nelly smiled softly. “Harry,” she took his hand and led him over to the bed and they sat down. “What do you suppose Severus has been doing since Christmas? I believe he spoke to Lady Ravenclaw first as your blood kin then Nick and I. He even spoke to Sirius and Remus, Harry. He’s already drawn up a contract, and Nick and Hermione have been looking it over this last month.” She squeezed his hand gently. “He’s only been waiting for you to settle down to begin the formal courtship.” She reached up to push a lock of hair behind Harry’s ear. “I can’t imagine he’ll wait long before he formally proposes, and we’ll have a wedding next summer.”

A giddy feeling swept through Harry and he bit his lip even as the blush spread over his cheek. “I don’t even know how I fell in love with him. I just seemed to wake up one day and knew he was the one I wanted to be with.”

“It was like that for your dad as well.” Harry jerked his head up to see Hermione standing in the doorway.

“Hermione! What are you doing here?”

She smiled teasingly as she crossed the room. “You don’t think I’d let my only child go off on his first official date of his courtship without looking him over do you?”

Harry blushed even as Hermione took his hand and pulled him to his feet. “Merlin, you’d think it was my wedding day or something.”

“Oh no,” Hermione gasped. “You’d never wear something so common at your wedding. Definitely formal Gryffindor robes. Don’t you think, Nelly?”

“Absolutely. It’ll be so grand. We can clear out the east side beach and-”

“We haven’t even been on our first date!” Harry exclaimed. “Can we please save the wedding talk for when he actually proposes?”

Hermione chuckled. “Speaking of, he’s just arrived.”

“What?” Harry cried, his stomach knotting with nerves. “Why didn’t you tell me? Oh god. Do I look okay? Is-”

“Harry,” Hermione grabbed his shoulders and their green eyes met. “You look fine. Now calm down and have a wonderful time. Go.” She urged him towards the door and Harry took a nervous breath as he grabbed his wand from the dresser and made his way downstairs. Hermione’s “Nothing too pastel, but nothing too dark either...” following behind him.

Harry slid his wand into his robe pocket as he made his way downstairs. He could hear voices coming from the parlor so headed in that direction when he reached the bottom of the stairs. His breath caught at the sight of Severus in dark blue robes with his hair falling in soft curls around his face. Harry could barely make out the glint of an emerald stud decorating Severus’s ear as the man turned. Black eyes met his before sliding appreciatively down Harry’s body and back up. Severus took a step forward, a small smile playing at the thin lips.

“Good evening, Harry. Might I say you look positively stunning? Green suits you.”

“You too,” Harry said breathlessly, then gave himself a mental shake. “I mean, you look wonderful as well.”

“Harry.” Harry pulled his eyes away from Severus at the sound of Nick’s voice. The man gave him a knowing smile, and Harry felt his cheeks heat. “Have you seen your mother?”

Harry nodded. “Yeah. They’re upstairs. They should be down soon.”

“They?” Nick questioned.

“Nelly and Hermione.”

“Ouch,” Severus said in a teasing tone. “Both mothers. I’m surprised you made it out in one piece.”

Harry chuckled softly. “We might not if we don’t leave soon.”

“Duly noted,” Severus said, closing the distance between them. He held his arm out and Harry slipped his hand around it. “Shall we?” Harry was certain he had a goofy smile on his face as he nodded his agreement.

“Have a nice evening,” Nick said as they headed out of the parlor. Harry glanced over his shoulder to smile at his dad before tightening his hold on Severus.

Once outside, Severus moved his arm to wrap around Harry’s waist. The two men stood facing each other, their eyes locked in an intimate embrace before Severus Apparated them away. Harry was clinging to Severus’s robe as they landed and he quickly let go and began to smooth the fabric. Severus’s hands grabbed his stopping his movements.

“It’s okay, Harry. Don’t be so nervous,” Severus whispered softly, and Harry could have sworn his cheeks were flaming red by now.

“Sorry,” he said softly. His chin was lifted by Severus’s fingers and he was immediately lost in the glittering black eyes.

“Perhaps I can help you relax a bit,” Severus said softly before lowering his head. Harry let out a soft moan before their lips even touched and he opened at the first press of Severus’s tongue against his lips. Harry wrapped his arms around Severus’s neck as he pulled them closer, enjoying the feel of Severus’s tongue sliding expertly over his own. Harry had kissed a few boys, more than kissed Blaise, but none had made him feel the way this one kiss from Severus did. He felt he was where he truly belonged, as if everything before had been leading up to this moment. He gave a small whimper when Severus pulled back. Another more chaste kiss was pressed to his lips before Severus spoke. “We have reservations, love.” Harry’s stomach flipped at the endearment and he finally let go of Severus. He stepped back and looked around to realize they were in a side alley.

“Where are we?”

Severus smiled broadly at him and took his hand. “Come.”

Harry let Severus lead him out of the alley and he immediately recognized the shops that lined the cobbled street. Across from them light spilled out from a large picture window of a restaurant where a line of people waited on the sidewalk. Harry turned to gape at the man beside him. “We’re in Paris? And we have reservations at  _ Le Grand Château _ ? That’s my favorite restaurant.”

Severus smiled smugly as they crossed the street. “I had heard.” They stepped up to the host stand. “We have a reservation for two under Snape.”

She glanced down at her list and grabbed two menus. “ _ Oui _ . Right this way.” She led them through the maze of tables to a small alcove already set with wine glasses, plates, and silverware. “Your waiter will be right with you,” she informed them before handing them the menus and walking away.

Harry placed his menu to the side. “I already know what I want.”

Severus gave a small chuckle and looked over his menu. When the waiter appeared they ordered, and Severus ordered their wine. They waited until it had been poured and the sommelier left before Severus spoke again. 

“So how did you find your estates?” Harry went on to tell him about the vast castle and lands made up of Gryffindor estate and the caretakers that lived there. One conversation flowed into another, and the two men talked well into the night. They eventually left the restaurant and made their way to a small café that served coffee and pastries. It was one of Nelly’s favorite places to visit when they came to Paris, so Harry insisted they stop there. It was well past midnight by the time they Apparated back to Fire Island, and Harry went to sleep with the memory of a goodnight kiss fresh on his mind.

A few nights later Severus escorted Harry to the theatre in London and a week after that the New York symphony. Harry repaid Severus with a picnic at the secluded beach on Fire Island before the weather turned cold and a trip to the opera when he found out they were performing Severus’s favorite. In between dates Harry saw to his estates, helped Hermione finalize the new year’s curriculum, and finally took his Wizengamot seats. He didn’t see Neville much but knew his friend was enjoying his apprenticeship from the many letters they wrote. The months flew by and before Harry knew it it was early November. 

“Harry.”

Harry turned at the soft voice and was surprised to see Severus exiting from the tunnel that led to the private beach from the house. He smiled at the man he was completely in love with. “Hey.”

Severus settled on the blanket beside Harry and pressed a kiss to Harry’s temple. “What are you doing out here? It’s a bit cold, don’t you think?”

Harry smiled at the man before turning back to the ocean. “Warming charm.”

“I can feel that. So why are you out here?”

“Thinking,” Harry answered.

“What’s this?” Severus asked, running his fingers in Harry’s open palm. Harry looked down to where the preserved lily rested in his palm. He folded his fingers in and pulled a gasp from Severus as his fingers crushed the flower. With a small smile, Harry opened his palm and let the lily unfold. He held it up so the moonlight illuminated the fragile-looking flower.

“Proof that I’m a wizard.” Harry lowered the lily and placed it in Severus’s palm. He looked up into the beloved black eyes. “It’s been ten years. Ten years to the day I discovered I was a wizard. Ten years since Nelly found me and rescued me. Ten years since I first held her wand and made it rain flowers.” He nodded to the flower in Severus’s hand.

“Lilies.”

Harry nodded. “I didn’t know at the time. We didn’t realize the significance. Petunia never said my parents’ names so I didn’t know. Nelly saved that one and placed a preservation charm on it for me so I’d never forget what I was.” Harry turned back to stare out over the ocean. “Tomorrow is the anniversary of the day they adopted me but today, this date, will always be the day that means the most to me. This is the date I found home.”

They sat quietly for several minutes, each lost in thought.

“Harry,” Severus said softly, breaking the silence. Harry turned to the man and saw him swallow thickly. “I was going to wait. I thought Christmas might be good, but I think this would be better.” Harry furrowed his brows in confusion as Severus moved to his knees and placed the lily behind Harry’s ear. He reached his hand into his pocket. “Harry, when I saw you again for the first time, it struck me immediately what a lovely man you were. It didn’t take me long to realize you were intelligent and funny as well. I have enjoyed these last few months, and I hope it comes to no surprise to you that I have spoken to your mothers and Nick about our future together.” Harry felt his stomach fill with butterflies at Severus’s words. “Negotiations have been done for months, and I’ve only been waiting for the right time to ask.” Severus pulled his hand from his pocket and opened it to reveal a smooth silver ring that glinted in the moonlight. “Harry James Potter Flamel Gryffindor, will you marry me?”

Harry cried out as he threw his arms around Severus’s neck and pressed their lips together. He pressed several frantic kisses to Severus’s lips and face, repeating “yes” after each one. Severus gave a full laugh as he urged Harry back so he could slip the ring on Harry’s finger. Harry couldn’t help the little squeal that left him as he eyed the band gracing his finger. This time when he threw himself into Severus’s arms the man was ready for him and caught him against his firm body. Harry moaned into the kiss and opened at Severus’s questing tongue. Harry wasn’t sure how they ended up laying down, but he wasn’t going to question it as he arched beneath Severus. He let out a groan of need as Severus’s mouth slid down Harry’s throat. It wasn’t the first time they had done more than kissing but Harry knew he was ready-  _ wanted  _ much more than that tonight.

“Severus,” he gasped out. He grabbed the man’s hand and guided it down to the growing bulge in his trousers. “Please.”

Severus let out a low moan. “Are you sure, Harry?”

“Yes,” Harry whispered. “Here. Now. Make me yours.”

“Oh, Harry,” Severus moaned as he crushed their lips together. Harry was near desperate but Severus refused to allow him to act on it. Severus kissed him slowly, taking his time to let his agile fingers work at the buttons on Harry’s shirt. Harry finally got the message and slowed his movements. He let his grip on Severus’s arm ease and moved his hand to slide through the soft curls. Severus’s mouth slid along Harry’s jawline up to nibble at his ear. “That’s it, love. No rush. We have all night.” Harry let out a moan as Severus’s tongue slid over the shell of his ear.

Harry was finally able to shrug out of his shirt when Severus pulled back to toss his own shirt aside. Harry’s breath caught as he ran his palms over Severus’s chest. He pushed hard enough for Severus to fall over, and Harry climbed on top of the man. He dipped his head to run his tongue through the black curls that decorated Severus’s chest before moving his mouth to suckle on a dark pink nipple. Severus arched beneath him as he cried out Harry’s name and slid his fingers through Harry’s dark mane. Harry laved at the dark nipples, switching back and forth between the hardened peaks. He kissed his way down Severus’s stomach and paused to dip his tongue into Severus’s navel. Severus let out a low growl just as Harry tugged the button loose from Severus’s trousers and Harry once again found himself on his back.

Harry grinned cheekily up at Severus. “Not tonight, my little minx,” Severus growled as he moved over Harry.

Harry locked his hands around Severus’s neck and tried to pull him down but the man resisted and Harry pouted. “But I love the way you taste.”

Severus shuddered over Harry and his voice was husky when he spoke. “Yes. I know. And you know just how I love it. But if I let you do that I’ll be done for the night.” Severus pulled back onto his knees and Harry watched as the man lowered his zip and pushed his trousers down to reveal the tented black boxers beneath. Harry licked his lips, mesmerized by the sight of his lover’s- No.  _ Fiancé’s  _ erection. Harry was pulled from his trance when Severus once again moved over him and lowered them to the ground. Harry gasped as Severus’s lips found his nipples and he squirmed under the man as smooth fingers slid down his body. Harry whimpered when Severus’s fingers paused at the waistband of his jeans.

“Please,” Harry whispered and he felt more than heard Severus’s shuddering breath. Severus moved just enough to get his hand between their bodies so he could loosen Harry’s trousers. Harry lifted his hips and helped Severus push his jeans down even while the man was pressing hot kisses to Harry’s neck and shoulder. Harry didn’t realize his pants had come off along with his jeans until he felt Severus’s fingers slide over his heated erection.

Severus pulled back and looked down at Harry. He let his fingers slide gently over Harry’s skin in no discernable pattern. “Merlin, you’re beautiful, Harry. Laid out here in the moonlight for me. Ready to give yourself fully to me.” Harry felt himself blush and he figured it must have been evident even in the starlight because Severus reached a hand up to run his finger over Harry’s cheek. “All mine,” Severus said as he lowered himself over Harry and claimed his mouth. Harry’s mind was screaming “yes” as Severus’s tongue invaded his mouth over and over. His hand hovered over Severus’s hair, his shoulder, his hip. Unsure where to touch the man, Harry finally grabbed at the small of the man’s back and let his fingers slide under the pants he found there. He pushed his hands further down until he could grab Severus’s arse fully in his hands and pressed their erections together.

“Severus,” Harry begged. He felt a tug on the fabric and set to helping Severus disperse with his pants. Both men moaned as their naked bodies touched. Harry spread his legs, letting Severus fall between them, and wrapped them around the man’s slender waist. Severus moaned his approval and repositioned himself. Harry let out a small gasp as he felt the tip of Severus’s wand against his thigh followed by a warm, slick sensation in his arse.

“Sorry, love,” Severus whispered. “I didn’t think to bring any lubricant.”

“‘S’K,” Harry murmured as he tried to suck kisses onto Severus’s chest. He gave up a moment later when he felt Severus’s finger teasing at his slick entrance. Harry’s world narrowed to the small cove and Severus. He could smell the salt in the ocean air and taste the salt on Severus’s skin. The sound of the wind was echoed in their heavy breathing, and the sound of the waves lapping at the shore mingled with the sound of their kisses. Harry’s fingers dug into the sand through the blanket as Severus pushed a second, then third finger inside him. His cry as Severus hit that magical spot mingled with a night cry of a seagull. Harry’s mind was near mush already when Severus pulled back and repositioned them. Harry had to focus when he felt long fingers slide through his hair and he blinked up into dark eyes. Severus gave him a slow lingering kiss even as he gently pressed into Harry.

“I love you, Harry,” Severus whispered with a moan as he filled Harry.

“I- I love you too, Sev,” Harry said, his voice filled with emotion at being taken for the first time by his fiancé. They kissed slowly for several minutes before Harry realized Severus was moving slowly over him. The short, slow movements soon became long, deliberate movements as he moved in and out of Harry. Harry grabbed at Severus’s bicep with one hand and Severus’s thigh with the other as Harry moved against the thrusting. Severus rearranged them, sitting back on his knees and pulling Harry’s hips closer. Harry could barely breathe with the wonderful sensation of Severus hitting his prostate over and over. His fingers dug into the blanket, the sand shifting beneath his hold. He writhed, trying to control the thrusts but Severus never once let him take the lead. Harry let out a whimper and relaxed into the steady rhythm, enjoying letting his lover be in control. He could feel his orgasm approaching but before he could say anything Severus’s hand was on him. The firm grip matched the pace already set by the older man. It didn’t take long before Harry was screaming and arching as warm come landed on his sweat-cooled belly.

When Harry could focus again, Severus was thrusting his tongue into Harry’s moan. Harry answered back as enthusiastically as he could. Severus pulled back and continued his hard thrusting as he whispered in Harry’s ear. “So beautiful when you come, love. Love watching you come undone. My lovely, lovely Harry. Mine!” Severus growled out as he gave a final thrust and emptied himself inside Harry. Harry’s body forced another orgasm as he was overwhelmed with the feeling of being filled by his soon to be husband.

“Fuck, I love you,” Harry said as his breathing returned to normal. Severus gave a soft chuckle as he carefully pulled from Harry. Harry gave a small moan of disappointment as Severus left him, but Severus gave him a small kiss on the temple. He grabbed up his wand and cleaned them before transfiguring a shirt into a blanket.

“Get some sleep, love. I’ll wake you for the sunrise.”

Harry smiled and cuddled up next to Severus. He liked the thought of that. Just as it had been ten years before, the new day would mark a new beginning in his life. 


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And because I'm such a sucker I can't leave you hanging so here you go.
> 
> ***Don't read the end note if you don't want SPOILERS***

“Time to wake up.” Harry buried his head further under the covers, ignoring the soft whisper. Agile fingers slid over his naked hip and teased at the waistband of his pants. “You have a very busy day, my delectable Lord Gryffindor.” Harry couldn’t suppress the sigh that escaped his lips as the warm mouth slid over his neck. He craned his neck to give the mouth more room to work and the wet heat pulled away at the same time the fingers pulled from his hip. A hard smack landed on his bottom causing him to yelp. He rolled over to glare at his husband, the familiar smirk on those thin lips. “Knew you were awake.”

“Be nice to me,” Harry pouted. “I’m pregnant.”

Severus rolled his eyes as he moved off the bed. “You’re only two months, and, if I recall correctly, we were doing much more than that when you were further along with Henry and Simon. Now, get up and quit being lazy. You have meetings to attend.”

Harry let out a groan and reluctantly rolled out of bed. “Slave driver,” he mumbled as he stumbled to the bathroom. Harry went about his morning routine before finally stepping under the warm spray of the shower. He let the rushing water wash over his face and finally felt himself waking up. He smiled to himself as he heard the bathroom door close. A moment later, warm arms wrapped around him. He let his head fall to the side as Severus’s lips assaulted his neck. He rocked back, loving the feeling of his husband’s hard prick against his bottom.

“Missed you last night,” Harry mumbled.

“Critical stage,” Severus answered as he turned Harry to face the wall. Harry automatically braced himself against the wall and spread his legs. After five years of marriage he knew just what Severus wanted. Harry felt the long fingers slid down his body, his own prick growing hard with anticipation.

“Yes,” he cried out as Severus’s hands clutched his arse cheeks. Severus chuckled, his breath hot on Harry’s arse making his hole twitch.

“I haven’t even done anything, love.”

“Please,” Harry begged, pushing his bum back.

Severus let out a pleased noise before his slick, hot tongue slid over Harry’s hole. Harry could barely catch his breath at how wonderful the feeling was. He loved when Severus used his mouth. Severus nipped him gently and Harry cried out.

“Want you… inside,” Harry gasped after several exquisite minutes. “Need to… come.”

Severus pulled his tongue from Harry and stood. He pressed against Harry and whispered in his ear as his slicked fingers stretched Harry. “Thought about doing this to you all night, love. Been needing your sweet body. Do you know what it does to me to know you’re carrying my baby?” Severus’s hand slid to rest gently against Harry’s belly, and he pushed into Harry with one swift movement. Harry cried out at the wonderful intrusion. Yes, he knew very well how horny his husband got when Harry was pregnant. The larger Harry had gotten with the twins the more Severus had touched him. By the time Harry was ready to give birth Severus could barely keep his hands off his husband. Harry didn’t mind. He loved knowing he was carrying a piece of them. Something they had created together with the help of a potion that very few could brew. The batch that had given them Henry and Simon had been a wedding present from Nick which they had used on their one year anniversary. The twins had been born nine months later. This batch had been a Christmas present from his husband and the future Nicholas Potter-Snape had been conceived on New Year’s eve. 

Harry whimpered as his husband moaned softly against Harry’s ear with each thrust in. Harry let his head fall back against Severus’s shoulder as the strong hand wrapped around his aching cock. It only took two firm tugs before Harry was crying out, his come splashing against the shower wall. Severus gave a satisfied sigh before giving a final thrust. Harry’s body shivered in delight at the feel of his husband’s member throbbing inside him. Severus held him tightly as they both came down from the high. Severus carefully pulled back and set to cleaning Harry up before turning him around and giving him a deep, lingering kiss. Severus slowly pulled back at the sound of the pop just outside the shower.

“Master Harry. Master Sev’us. The boys is awake.”

“Thank you, Peaky,” Harry told the house elf that was assigned to the boys, and the small creature popped back out.

“I’ll get them dressed,” Severus said, letting his dark eyes slide over Harry’s wet body. “Finish your shower and get dressed. You’ve got an hour until you have to be at the school.”

“Yes, dear,” Harry teased as he placed a quick peck on Severus’s cheek.

Severus swatted his bottom lightly. “Cheeky brat.”

Harry laughed as Severus stepped from the bathroom to get dressed and see to the boys. Harry washed his hair and finished with his shower before getting dressed in his formal Gryffindor robes. Harry finished off the outfit by slipping on his dragonhide boots and official Gryffindor ring. He slipped his Potter ring on the pinky of his left hand so that it sat next to his wedding band, the only piece of jewelry he never took off, and finally slipped his wand into his robe pocket. He rarely used it these days since wandless magic came so easily to him, but he still liked to carry it for show. Harry made his way down the stairs, his hand sliding over the banister as he admired the way the morning light shone through the large stained glass window that showed the Gryffindor crest. He was glad he and Severus had decided to move to the castle; it was an excellent place to raise the children with its proximity to the beach and plenty of grounds to play on. Plus they had the company of the current caretaker’s grandchildren to play with. Since the caretakers had always had free roam of the left wing of the castle, Harry hadn’t felt bad about moving into the family wing on the opposite side. Plus the current caretaker’s wife was an avid brewer herself so she got on splendidly with Severus.

Harry followed the sound of laughter to the informal dining room where Severus was already seated next to Henry while Simon was talking excitedly to Malachi, the caretaker’s fifteen year old grandson and oldest of the lot. Harry smiled at the twin dark-haired boys, their green eyes matched Harry’s almost perfectly. Harry placed a hand on his belly and, not for the first time, wished and hoped that Nicky’s eyes were as black as his father’s. Severus looked up then and caught the gesture and a look of pure love crossed his face. Harry felt himself blush and moved into the dining room. He was greeted with various forms of good morning including two identical sloppy kisses. Severus reached out to capture Simon’s hand before he could grab Harry’s robe.

“Not while daddy is wearing his formals, Simon. You know that. Now eat up. Papa and Peaky are taking you to ride the horsies today,” Severus told the boy. Harry pressed a kiss to Severus’s temple as he settled at the head of the table and food appeared on his plate.

Breakfast went by quickly as the adults discussed their plans for the day. Severus spoke in parent code about the need to finalize the plans for the boys’ upcoming birthday and that he still had some shopping to do. Harry agreed to distract the boys the following afternoon so Severus could take care of it and reminded him about the Malfoy/Greengrass wedding they were required to attend. Severus finally reminded Harry it was time for him to get to the school for the board meeting, so Harry kissed his husband and the twins goodbye before Apparating to his quarters at Hogwarts. He rarely used the suite of rooms except to Apparate to and from but it was nice knowing he had a place if he ever needed it. Not that he didn’t have enough places, Harry thought wryly as he stepped from the rooms and made his way to the Headmistress’s tower. 

The gargoyle stepped aside as Harry approached, and he rode the stairs up. He raised his hand to knock on the partially open door but paused when he heard a soft moan. He felt his face fill with heat as he wondered who Kathleen had in the office. It was unlike her to entertain personal relationships in such a near-public place. Harry heard a soft mumble followed by Kathleen’s familiar giggle.

“Stop,” she said breathlessly. Another mumble followed by a passionate curse word that caused Harry to press a hand to his mouth to keep his laughter in. “Nev.” Harry’s hand and jaw dropped at the familiar nickname. “Nev, stop. Seriously. Harry’s going to be here any minute.”

There was a soft rustling and a deep, familiar voice finally spoke. “You realize eventually we’re going to have to tell him?”

“Which part?” Kathleen huffed. “The part where you and I are seeing each other or the part where it was what he said at the New Year’s party that got us together?” With all the teasing he had done to his two best friends Harry couldn’t even begin to think what he could have said that finally tipped them over the edge.

“Please,” Neville begged. “Let’s not tell him it was actually anything he did or said. He’ll be hard enough to live with once he realizes we’re together.”

“Well,” Kathleen said in what Harry knew was her sly voice. “We could just not say anything and let him find out at the wedding.”

Neville’s laughter rang out through the office. “You could at least let me ask before you start planning the wedding.”

“I’m not planning anything, Neville Longbottom. But I hope you know I won’t be waiting around another twelve years for a proposal.”

“Duly noted, Miss Ravenclaw,” Neville said in a tone of voice Harry had never heard the man use.

“Nev,” Kathleen said breathlessly once more, and Harry thought now would be a good idea to interrupt before things got too heated. “Harry,” Hermione reminded him as Harry carefully pushed the door opened.

Neville was standing in front of the large desk decorated with scrolls, quills, and odd trinkets. He wore the typical jeans and tee that told Harry he had plans to spend most of the day working in his garden. He was bent forward slightly, and Harry could just barely see Kathleen’s blue Ravenclaw formal robes and her dark braid brushing across the desk. Her fingers were clutching Neville’s blond hair as the man practically assaulted her neck.

“Oh, don’t mind me,” Harry said jovially, causing the couple to spring apart guiltily. Kathleen wiped at her lips as Neville ran his fingers through his hair. “Looks like I showed up at just the right time.”

“Actually,” Neville said, “I’d appreciate it if you could come back in an hour or so.”

“Neville,” Kathleen screeched as she slapped the man across the arm. Both wizards laughed but Neville moved closer to Kathleen and gave her a quick side hug.

“I’m teasing.” He whispered something in Kathleen’s ear that made her blush, and Harry was certain he didn’t need to know what it was. Neville pulled back and pressed a kiss to Kathleen’s temple. “I’ll see you later.” She nodded as he pulled away and headed out of Kathleen’s office. “Good luck with the board, you two,” he called as he shut the door behind him.

Harry gave a groan. “Did he have to remind us?”

Kathleen picked up a pile of scrolls from her desk. “Come on, Harry. You know this is important. They’re finally approving the muggle-born integration courses, and I want to make sure we get the right teacher.”

“Yes, I know,” Harry said. “Your special project.”

He followed her down the moving stairs and out into the corridor. “Well, as much time as I spent being raised muggle-born, I can assure you this is a step in the right direction. How are my grandchildren, by the way?”

“Simon won’t go to sleep unless Sev reads to him these days, and I have to take little Henry up on the broom at least once a day.” Harry placed a hand on his stomach. “But Nicky doesn’t seem to have any complaints yet.”

“Good,” she smiled at him before her face took on a thoughtful look. “You realize if Nev and I do get married, any daughter you have will no longer become Lady Ravenclaw?”

Harry shrugged. “That’s not really why we were having kids, you know? Simon will do just fine as Lord Gryffindor, and Henry will carry on the Potter name. Sirius is already talking about naming Nicky his heir. I don’t think my children will be lacking in titles.”

“You know,” Kathleen said as they neared the room designated for the board meetings, “I think helping Neville look for that damn toad was the best decision I ever made.”

Harry let out a sigh as he settled in his customary seat. “And you know, I almost didn’t come to Hogwarts.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Full disclosure: I totally had no intentions for Neville and Hermione to end up together. It was just supposed to be an ongoing joke with Harry, but as the fic neared the end they demanded to get together. So, there. I hope you enjoyed it and I've got a couple more new ones coming out as soon as my beta gets time off from her schooling to finish looking them over.


End file.
